


The Best Chess Player

by StayInNeverland



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: 2CT, Alternate Universe - Kuroshitsuji Fusion, Alternate Universe - Victorian, F/M, Kuroshitsuji Spoilers, Victorian
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2018-12-02 15:16:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11512038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StayInNeverland/pseuds/StayInNeverland
Summary: "My child, although many times some people have the blessing of having two equal pieces in a game, the good player is not the one that uses one of the pieces as a replacement for the other. The good player combines them and uses them together in his strategies to achieve better results and avoid losing one in the game."Rachel Gotha used to be the Queen's right hand. After a serie of events she leaves the Buckingham Palace and becomes the Queen's Watchdog to pay for all the favors she received from the Royal Family in her childhood.*Manga only*Translated from Spanish





	1. That Countess, Alone

  

 

 

 

> _August 1, 1889_
> 
>  
> 
> _My dearest Countess Rachel_
> 
>  
> 
> _I left today the Windsor Palace. It has been a long time since our last visit together to Buckingham Palace. I am very sad that we are not able to enjoy those afternoon tea as we used to do until a year ago. That is why, I hope to have your visit to London today at 5p.m. I also want to express the sorrows that have been inflicted on me in the recent days._
> 
> _I hope to count on your presence._
> 
> _Victoria R.I._

 

_Thursday_

_August 1, 1889_

_Kensington Palace_

**In the morning**

-"Do you have the sales record for this month?" Said the blonde young lady to her butler.

-"Yes, my lady"

-"... this month's sales have increased, at least our sales are still higher than the Funtom Corporation, even though they used that actress as their image ... the one that previously refused to be the image of our new line" 

-"Certainly; I am surprised that she participated in such a childish publicity campaign”

-"Anyway, is breakfast ready?"

-"Yes, my lady. Join me please…"

Every August 1st, for the last years, the same routine was followed. The light breakfast in the morning, the dessert celebration in the afternoon and finally the tea party with the Queen. Honestly, I did not expect to receive any invitation this year after everything that has happened in the recent months, but this morning, just like every year, that letter with the red seal of royalty was on the table next to my breakfast, with a little rose.

-"I see that our dear lady did not lose tradition this year ..."

-"So I see, surely she has many things to talk to you, my lady"

Unable to avoid it, a sarcastic laugh came out of me, "She probably wants me to solve some problem that causes her grief, I doubt that she simply invited me to see her." Opening the seal and unfolding the letter, I could see that it was way shorter than the ones she used to send me. However, I did not expect a long letter. I don’t really want to know about her day.

-"It is inevitable, at 5 o'clock in the afternoon we should be at the Palace ..."

 

_**In the afternoon** _

Actually, Buckingham Palace is not far from my residence, about 15 to 20 minutes in the carriage. Once inside, I could see that it is still the same as before. I was not expecting more changes in a year. Probably, I did not really wanted it to be much different, part of my childhood I lived in these corridors and I really like them.

 - "My child, I am very happy of your visit"

Lifting my head after the necessary bow and without making eye contact with the Queen, I proceeded to sit in the chair in front of her. The garden was just as dazzling as ever. The roses stand out by their color in front of the green of the lawn and the perfect and symmetrically pruned shrubs. In the center, a small table with two white chairs in which now we were sitting. At her side, two of her butlers dressed in white. At my side, a butler dressed in black. If I did not know them all so well, I might become intimidated by believing that the whole situation was organized in such a way that it had some psychological impact on me. However, I know - and very well - that's how we always spend the afternoons on August 1st of each year.

-"I really thought I wouldn’t spend this year here," I said after leaving my cup of tea on the plate of the table, "after our last conversation I thought you would not want to know anything more about me"

-"My child, I would never want something like that." Finally I looked up to meet her eyes fixed on me "if we do not see each other as we used to, it is because you have decided to walk away"

-"And I honestly do not regret it," I said, without looking away from her eyes "I am in my right, I think, after been used in such a way.” However, I do not blame you because you simply used the pieces at your convenience. And I was just ... a bishop? Or a knight? A piece that was going to be very useful, you just had to wait for the right time to use it. But, in case you lost it ... you have another piece that is exactly the same, there are always two pieces", I said at last, seeing his butlers. "Two pieces that look exactly the same in case of losing one, or am I wrong?" The Queen finally smiled and asked Charles Grey to give me a folder.

\- "Finally" I said smiling "I have been here more time than I had planned" The folder, possessed a series of papers with the information of some teenagers around 17 years old. "Weston College?, a public school for the children of the best families" I said looking up and tilting my head to one side because of the doubts that I had.

-"That's right, Derrick Arden is my cousin's son, Duke Clemens’s son. He has not sent letters to his parents for days. His family really misses him and it saddens me to see the situation in which they are. In addition, it seems strange to me that other young guys around his age have not returned to their homes either”

-“What has happened to these guys?” I mentioned giving the folder to David, my butler. "I assume, you want me to find out," I bowed again. "Is that all the information you have or is there something else that you have hidden from me?" I said as I took the last cookie on the plate.

-"That's all my girl, if you can get some information about these young people, I would like to know. Thank you very much, my dear ..."

-"Good afternoon, Queen Victoria"

 Leaving the garden and entering the room I could hear the voice of Charles Grey, asking the Queen how she could bear my behavior; I assume, maybe some of that affection that she used to show me was real. After all, it was several years that I spend with her. Lifting my head I could see that the sun was just beginning to hide, this meeting was certainly much shorter compared to the other years when we used to watch the sunset together. Today, exactly one year ago I left this place and started living in Kensington Palace. Today, a year ago, I learned that the king simply sees how best he uses the pieces he has at his disposal.

 

_**In the night** _

-"So, to enter that public school, full of lonely, desperate and hormonal kids ..." David said with a face of indignation "... is that the only solution?"

-"That's right, but calm down, obviously no one will notice my presence" I mentioned seeing the uniform that was folded inside a box "I will try to end with this as fast as possible. Do you have the ridiculous rules of that school?

-"Yes, my lady," David said, handing me a large sheet of paper.

-"I'll read them tonight, I do not want to be so dumb as to start bad the first day of school ... the first impressions are of great importance, are not they?"

-"By the way, my lady, strangely the Queen sent another letter. This one arrived minutes after our return" said the butler, handing me another letter that looked exactly like the one I received in the morning."

-"Jaaaa, Has she forgotten to tell me something? her age seems to be affecting her after all." Smiling I opened the envelope and my expression gradually changed to one of indignation.

-"My lady?"

 

 

 

 

 

> _August 1, 1889_
> 
> _My dearest Countess Rachel_
> 
> _My child, although many times some people have the blessing of having two equal pieces in a game, the good player is not the one that uses one of the pieces as a replacement for the other. The good player combines them and uses them together in his strategies to achieve better results and avoid losing one in the game._
> 
> _I hope you had a nice birthday today and I also hope you get along at school with your partner, who should be planning to join as well._
> 
> _Until we meet again._
> 
> _Victoria R.I._
> 
>  
> 
>  

 

_Monday_

_August 5, 1889_

_**In the morning** _

 

For the first time in years, I had to worry about getting up early enough to get ready and attend my first day of school. Since I was 6 years old I was home schooled, Queen Victoria always wanted the best education for me, always saying that someone as smart as me should not waste her talent. Her seven descendants were all old now. They used to be nine but in 1878 her second daughter died and  in 1884 his younger son Leopoldo, Duke of Albany, died too.

Among all the classes that I received:  logic, math and language were the subjects that more hours every day I had to study. It did not bother me of course, being a girl who loved to learn new things all that amount of new information that these teachers gave me fascinated me. The quality of education I received earlier in the small school I used to attend had no point of comparison with the one those private tutors gave me. However, being a little girl accustomed to having classmates and friends, the Palace could become lonely. Until I entered an emotional stage where I preferred to forget everything about my past and devote myself to learning and helping the Queen in whatever work she needed, and accompanying her most of the day with her assistant Jhon Brown, from whom I learned all those things necessary to be considered the right hand of her Majesty. I owed everything to her and that is why I felt I should be grateful.  By that time, there was an “evil nobleman” that always came to the Palace. He was really nice with me. On many occasions he would take me out to the gardens of the palace and tell me things about his beloved family. I never told him anything about me, even though he was nice I was a bit terrified that his smile could change so easily when he was doing the Queen's errands. However, I admired his ability to lead a double life. I, on the other side, did not want to harm anyone. But he was suddenly killed one year later. In 1886 the Queen already had a new watchdog after the death of his predecessor ... a child that live in a mansion on the outskirts of London with whom she met every so often. Although I always saw that boy arrive with his butler, we never talked. In short, being in such a large group of people again made me anxious, this increased by the fact that I spent about one hour trying to hide my breasts and part of my hair in the uniform hat, the other part had to be inevitably cut, however those short strands are hidden if my hair is loosen again ... I have made worse sacrifices.

Already at Weston College, I stood in front of the lawn that was in the center in front of the chapel. “Who makes a rule so stupid that it does not allow me to step on it if I am not a prefect?”

\- "He's in trouble!" A series of screams and murmurs makes me turn my face and see in the center of the lawn a young man, who I could tell had no idea what he was doing. Seconds later, his eye was fixed on me and it was at that moment that we both recognized each other. Probably my face showed my displeasure and anger at his presence, but his face expressed exactly the same. I was about to talk to him but we were interrupted again by shouts:

\- "The P4" and that's how all my dislike for the situation turned into frustration at the sight of a tall blond boy and three more guys ... but my eyes were fixed in the blond one, with all of his long hair gathered in a bun. I stared at him as I held my hair cut that morning.

-"Your tie is crooked," said the young man to the one I recognized as Earl Phantomhive. "What's your name?"

-"It's Phantomhive," he said, and there was my confirmation. Although honestly, that big blue eye without expression and that black patch are never forgotten. A few minutes after the prefects explained the rules to the Earl that surely did not read anything before coming, he began to talk with another boy and they walked away. Although I do not consider that I need his help, I could use him in some way later...

 

**_In the afternoon_ **

Already in the classroom, the Earl came close to me and began a conversation:

-"You really look different from the last time I saw you, young man"

-"You can just call me Gotha, you know that, right?"

-"I do not really remember any young man with the royal name Gotha," the Earl said, with a sarcastic smile, clearly mocking me.

-"Probably no one remembers any boy or girl, no one really uses the surname by itself without the -Saxony Coburg-, lately the royalty uses -Saxony Coburg and Gotha- only" I said with an equally sarcastic smile, "no one misses the opportunity to boast their familiarity with the Queen these days "

-"Is that so? That does not seem to be your case though. Since last year I have not seen you hanging around the Palace. You used to be with the Queen all day long, "he said, sitting down on the bench that was empty in front of mine.

-"Listen Phantomhive, I know why you're here and you know very well why I'm here," I said, leaning closer to the table and drawing closer to him. "It never pleased you to stop being the Queen's only watchdog and that's why you never wanted any kind of contact with me, I did not want to talk to you either. You did not get into my business and I did not get into yours. But, I wonder what have you done so that the Queen can not confide this case to you alone? Have you not fulfilled something before or is the case too big for you? "I said, clearly making fun of the Earl and watching his face of irritation grow, while his blue eye was fixed on me. Just when he was clearly going to answer me with shouts, we were again interrupted by a another voice ...

-"Boys up," shouted a young man with glasses.

Obviously, having read those stupid rules I got up from the chair and got in the line, avoiding being last.

\- "The last one, the new boy, return to the bedroom and polish the shoes of all the prefects, then we will have your welcome party," he said after handing a small folded card. Laughing in a low voice because of the new duty that was entrusted to the earl, the young man with glasses approached me, so I stared into his eyes. "We will have a welcome party for you too, join the other new guy so both of you can quickly finish the assignment and come to the dormitories together" It took all the energy inside of me not to yell at him and respond to this guy the way I should had, but it all came down to a: "Sure, do not worry, it's always good to help a classmate," while without the need to see him I could feel the earl's smile ... that sarcastic smile from Ciel Phantomhive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helllooooo my friends, I'll be posting two chapter every week. It's my first time writing something like this but I wanted to try. Anyways, thanks for reading!
> 
> Every chapter you will get to know a little bit more about our Countess and her past. 
> 
> Also, in this fic are some historical references I would like you to know about. If you read a little bit about them, later on the story you will understand a lot of thing! See you soon!


	2. That Countess, Exposed

_Monday_

_August 5th, 1889_

**_In the Afternoon_ **

 

The afternoon was almost at its end, the sun was beginning to hide, while I stood in silence watching the sunset in one of the windows of the corridors of the classrooms. While I was lost in my thoughts, a voice interrupts me "I have heard that the Countess Gotha now lives in the Kensington Palace, the former home of Queen Victoria and her deceased parents" I was surprised, the Earl Phantomhive had again decided to start a conversation with me. I turned to see him, and found his blue eye staring at me as he closed the classroom door he came from. "That's right, although I only live in the east wing. No one needs a whole Palace for a single person" I said as we started walking toward the dormitory building.

-"I see, a much smaller place compared to the Buckingham Palace," said the Earl.

-"It's true but enough for one person. Don’t you think the same thing, Phantomhive?" I replied as I saw the road ahead “If it were not for the servants you and I would be completely alone in some big mansions”

-"In fact, but didn’t you leave the Buckingham Palace, the Queen and her family by your own will?" Said the Earl clearly questioning me.All the time I lived with the Queen Victoria, I never needed anything from anyone other than the servants . However, once I started working as the Queen's Watchdog I had to learn a lot of things in order to get information and judge people as necessary. I also learned that if the Queen considers me one of her pieces of chess, I can also use other people in the same way. As the first impressions are always important, I always repeat myself "Be kind to people as long as it takes until they believe the most stupid lies, destroy them if necessary when they are vulnerable." Although in the case of the Earl, I really have nothing against him, but it is always important to prevent. I looked into his blue eye, smiling. "Are you trying to interrogate me?" I said as I fixed my gaze on his face. I did not plan to answer his question but when I saw his black patch, which he probably uses all the time since his parents died in that accident at his mansion, I decided to answer him, "But I will answer your question since I think I know way much more of you than you know about me. That is unfair, isn't it?" I said smiling "Yes, I left the Palace and the protection of the Queen by my own will”

\- "Do you know a lot about me? Have you been investigating me?" Phantomhive said clearly irritated.

\- "No, it wasn't necessary. I have known many things about the Phantomhive Family for a long time already. I remind you that I used to be the Queen's right hand, as you told me yourself: I was with her all day long. I met your father and your family. Have you already forgotten? I met you before." As I spoke, I could already feel Phantomhive’s gaze piercing me, but I turned my head and stared at him." Your Father, former Earl Phantomhive never stopped talking about his beloved family: his wife, and obviously his Son Ciel and ... "

-"I see," he said, interrupting me. "But, you are no longer the right hand of the Queen ..." He was clearly trying to change the subject. " Now you're like a guardian puppy," he said mocking me.

-"Excuse me? You're not older nor taller than I am, I remind you," I said as Ciel opened the door. At that moment, out of nowhere, hands covered my mouth and other hands covered the Earls’s.

\- "Congratulations on your arrival, we will have the celebration party now. I hope you enjoy it, “said the young man with glasses who had previously told the Earl and me about the Celebration.

Then, the Earl Phantomhive was thrown with a big fabric towards the ceiling. Just as a group of students approached me to get me up and probably do the same to me, they were interrupted by the voice of a black haired teacher. Those guys almost touched me, they could have discovered that I am a girl. "Clayton, why are you, as an upper year participating in this?" Said the black haired teacher.

\- "That's ... this is a tradition of our dorm" After being abruptly released to the ground, The Earl and I got up with the help of the Professor. When I saw his face, I turned to see the Earl, "You..."

\- "You are the new students, Phantomhive and Gotha, correct?, Welcome to the Sapphire Owl Dormitory, I am the dorm supervisor Michaelis"

Once all the young students left I approached the Earl Phantomhive and Professor Michaelis "Should I simply speak to the principal and tell him that a certain butler is inside the school even though it is forbidden? With all these stupid rules and customs there would probably be a big scandal, "I said as I smiled at them both and headed for my new designated bedroom.

 

**_In the night_ **

Definitely the worst part of all of this will be sleeping in the same room with a lot of guys. If David saw this, he'd probably faint.

-"This will be hard," I said as I entered the shared room and sat on my bed.

-"I can already imagine the scandal that would be made if people found out that the young Lady Countess Gotha has slept in the same room with a group of boys," said Ciel whispering behind me.

-"If that were to happen, I would know perfectly well who was the responsible for spreading those false rumors about me and I could take revenge," I said as I smiled, all the mockery he makes me, do not even affect me anymore. The Earl Phantomhive sat on the bed next to me as we were assigned the only two spare beds in this bedroom.

-"Phantomhive, I'll be clear again. I'll ask you this once. Tomorrow I will begin to investigate what happens in this school and I will make all the moves necessary. For this I need to know If you will try to solve this case on your own or you will consider me an ally as requested by the Queen” I said, totally serious. "I do not think I told you this before, but I do not really have anything against you, if we had not met until today it was because you were clearly avoiding it and I never needed your help either." In fact, I can even understand the attitude that the Earl Phantomhive has had with me. I am sure he feels that I have taken part of the title that belongs to him. But that was never my intention, that was always the plan of the Queen apparently.

-"Okay, let's get this sorted out as quickly as possible. I want to return to my mansion in the shortest time "

-"Well. In the same way, you can ask for help in what you need although with your butler here I doubt to be of much help ". I extinguished the small candle on my table and I covered myself with the sheet.

 

-“Good Night, Ciel ... "

-“Good Night… Gotha”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello agaaaaaaain!  
> I have to re read everything to correct any mistake but I will do it later.
> 
> Anyway, Tomorrow Rachel and Ciel are going to start their school live while they investigate what is happening in the Public School! (That probably you already know)


	3. That Countess, Making friends

_Tuesday_

_August  6th, 1889_

_**In the morning** _

So, the next morning Phantomhive and I started our new routine in this public school. Last night after talking to Ciel he confirmed that he would obey the wishes of the Queen, so he would work with me to find out where the missing boys are. Although this is not the first case I am entrusted by the Queen, It is the first time that I’m all alone. Normally, David would be helping me solve the cases, after all he is the one who swore to protect me. All the information that I needed or problems that came up in the process were solved by those "Evil Noblemen" who for some reason, generally to protect their own heads, helped the Queen's Watchdogs in London's Underworld.

The day I decided to leave Buckingham Palace, I was determined to return to the village where I was born or to stay here in London and work somewhere. However, I could not just go and put aside all the "Investment" that the Queen made in me, giving me a title, a royal surname, housing, education, clothing and food, for approximately 6 years. Although she did not bring all that when I was leaving, she offered me a job, not like her right hand how I used to be, but like her Watchdog. Thus, there would be no strange rumors of the Countess Gotha working in the streets or leaving Buckingham Palace afer a conflict with the royal family. So, while I was completely hurt by what the Queen had done to me, the reason I wanted to leave the Palace, I agreed to live in her old home and continue to solve the problems in the Underworld. The day I left the Palace, on the 1st of August, David accompanied me to the entrance. David was always considered my tutor, who taught me all those things I did not know when I first went to the Palace. He was in charge of organizing my study schedule and he was the one that hired all those teachers. When we were in front of the Palace’s door, David expressed his desire to accompany me to my new home. With the Queen’s permission, he also moved to Kensington Palace. All that training I had as a child and for which I often questioned Queen Victoria's reasons, now made sense. Everything made sense when I became the Queen’s Watchdog.

After the Entrance Ceremony, in which we were formally introduced to the prefects and the Vice-Principal. I sat on a bench in the central courtyard with Phantomhive. The morning was the same as the others, the weather was pleasant as a few rays of sunlight passed through the tree that was behind us. "So we cannot meet the Director," he said as he looked at the front in disgust.

\- "We must find how to get close to him to be able to question him directly," I said while I took the hat off. Although yesterday I tried to hide my blonde hair, today I simply left it visible in a little ponytail. Several boys in this school use long hair in fact.

\- "Today you will leave your hair in sight I see, but it used to be longer, right?" Said Phantomhive as he watched me. Although he had his gaze fixed on me, I could perceive that it was out of curiosity. There were probably no second intentions, but no interest in me either. He was just curious.

\- "Yes, I had cut a few strands yesterday. But today in the morning I decided to match the height of all the hair. I left it much shorter in the process. However, it's still long if you ask me, "I said, as I held my hair. Before it used to be long to my waist, always wavy and with a loop in the center that collected part of my hair. But now it was halfway down my back.

-"I see"

\- "Well, it's time to go to class. Don’t worry Phantomhive I will see if other students have been able to meet with the director previously. Surely you, with your social skills so poor, will not be able to talk to other students" I said teasing Ciel and getting up. I began to walk, until I heard the Earl stand up and walk behind me.

\- "However, with your ability to act in front of other people, surely you will get the information easily" he said while I was surprised that he responded with a compliment, so I turned to see him. "On many occasions I have heard nobles talk about the delicacy and tenderness of the Countess of Gotha," said the Earl, smiling. "So many times I have heard that there is no lady more elegant and innocent than you. But those in the Underworld who know us both think very different of you. And I have checked it in the short time we have been here" he said as he laughed and passed me, walking in front of me in the wide corridor that led us to our classroom. "Poor people, being so easily deceived"

\- "At least I socialize with people and I do not stay in a corner in social gatherings with a face that shows boredom," I replied to the Earl. It was well known also that he was not the nicest person.

\- "Let's see how you put your skills into practice," said Phantomhive, opening the door to the room. In spite of everything, in fact he always behaves like a gentleman although I do not look like a lady dressed this way.

That morning I talked to several guys and got more information than I expected. At lunchtime I saw Ciel talking to another young man probably our age. I approached with my meal and sat next to the Earl. "Hello Phantomhive, I have not been able to talk to you all morning," I said, simulating a friendly smile. "Oh, hello, I hope I did not interrupt your conversation, I'm Gotha, a new student," I told the young man as I shook my hand greeting him. The dining room was really a large room, with large windows at the sides that allowed the sunlight and wind to enter. All the students in the bedroom had a place at the table to eat. Probably more than 200 students were eating.

-"Oh hello. I'm Mcmilan, nice to meet you, "said the young man, answering me with a smile. After a few minutes, in which Mcmilan spoke mostly of his anecdotes as a student while we were eating, I decided to change the conversation towards a subject that probably the Earl had not managed to reach.

-"Hey, Mcmilan, you know we're still new students. But, we really want to catch up on all the traditions of a school as prestigious as Weston. Could you please explain to Phantomhive and me about the Fags?”

-"Fag?" Said the Earl, I clearly have more information than him.

-"Sure," the boy said excitedly. "Let me think, after the lunch break is Fag Time" After explaining everything, he told us that in short a Fag is like a butler.

\- "Interesting", I mentioned "I am sure that the upper year that requested you as his fag should be very lucky to have your help" I said smiling "Do prefects have fags too?"

\- "Of course, Clayton is the Prefect's fags ... just like having a brother"

\- "A fake one" is said under my breath.

\- "Anyways, Do you by any chance know the son of the Duke Clemens, Derek Arden"? Said Ciel, the change of subject was very abrupt and from one moment to another, all the students began to murmur and to observe us. To the few students I asked about him I only addressed the subject with terms like "missing students", or "friends from other dormitories" in a way so sweet and kind that despite the fact that they did not want to answer me, they did in a few words. However, I did not expect this reaction from all the students after listening to the name of Derek Arden.

\- "It does not look good if you are too friendly with people from other dormitories" said Mcmilan "However I do not believe that student was transferred from red house to purple house on exception"

-"Trans-ferred?" Said the Earl surprised, can a student be transferred from one house to another? Could I be transferred to the purple house? Although I do not think I have the profile ... I do not want to have it either ...

\- "I don’t know the details but the rumor is that the principal ordered it" and after that, Mcmilan left us smiling next to his upper-year, to which I responded with a smile while shaking my hand in sign of farewell.

\- "How can he be so glad to be a servant to another student?" I said as the smile on my face disappeared and I took the last bite of my meal. "Well, most of the students answered the same thing to me. However, the few that I managed to ask about Derek Arden told me that he was ... "

\- "Phantomhive, Gotha," I was interrupted again by that voice that I have come to recognize very well "Clayton ..." I said, turning around and feigning a smile again.

-“Until both of you are assigned to an upper year, you are on cleaning duty for the dining hall” Clayton walked away while I stood in front of the door thinking how to clean all the dirty dishes on the tables, still smiling.

-"Sebastian, come here" Ciel said behind my back, and in a few seconds I felt the presence of his butler also behind me. As I turned to see Phantomhive he was adjusting his patch, he was obviously going to ask his butler for help, I needed David's help too "How did you get in here? Were you hiding somewhere?" To which he only replied with a smile.

\- "It seems Dereck was transferred," said the Earl to his butler.

\- "When I checked, his name was on Violet Wolf’s list indeed, the Purple House's prefect," said the Butler, as he scanned documents.

\- "Let's go to the Purple House" I said to Phantomhive, "We must know if he is really there or if everything is a lie. Something is happening at this school and I do not trust all the information we have. Of the 15 students with whom I spoke about Derek Arden, 10 made easygoing gestures and moved their hands, so I deduce that they told the story that they believed was true, however the other five kept their hands still, which means they were not sure if they were repeating a lie or they know it is just a rumor. Or, on the contrary, they were hiding something about him that they did not want to tell me. One of these five guys even looked down to the right, meaning he was having an internal conflict whether to tell me something or not. The other four just looked to the right, that is, they were clearly remembering something”.The Earl and his butler were silent for a few seconds until Ciel said, "Sure, let's go to the Purple House, Sebastian clean up here"

-"Wait, I have to stay cleaning too, this room is too big to be cleaned by one person," I told the young man and his butler.

\- "Do not worry, Countess, what kind of butler would I be if I let the hands of a lady of the royal family get dirty?" He said with a smile and making a bow.

\- "Come Gotha, you can be dressed as a boy in this School but that does not erase the fact that you are a Lady of the Gotha Family, I cannot let there be rumors that a Phantomhive let a Lady from the Royal Family clean a dining room" He said as he moved toward the door.

\- "If those rumors where around you would know that it was me and you would take revenge" I said as I began to walk beside the Earl "Thank you Sebastian, and sorry that I cannot help you" I said

\- "And I don’t want a fight to death with the Countess Gotha, the second Queen’s Watchdog," Ciel said, to which I was surprised and stopped walking, is he plotting something or am I thinking too much about this? I don’t trust people easily and I'm sure he does not either. We both still remain on guard, I guess...

 

_**In the afternoon** _

Our visit to the Purple House was a complete disaster, the fag of the prefect kicked us out with the help of the other students.

-"Are not these people normal? How can they kick us out just because we came to visit a friend? "I said irritably.

-"I know, let's go back to the dorms. There is nothing else we can do here. " Ciel said as he walked along the road that linked both buildings. The sun was beginning to hide and the sky was beginning to turn red.

As soon as we entered the bedrooms we heard Clayton's cries "Phantomhive, Gotha!", to which Phantomhive and I tensed up, he surely discovered that we had escaped.

\- "I don’t easily praise anyone. However just for today I will grant you some praise” He said while Ciel and I entered the dining hall. To my surprise, the old room looked completely different. The tables were completely arranged with their respective plates and glasses and the perfectly folded napkins in the form of roses. I was so shocked that my fake smile began to fade.

\- " Well done Phantomhive and Gotha, you are a perfect pair! You work so good together" Clayton said, while I kept quiet, seeing the faces of all the people. At that moment Professor Michaelis arrives and he thanked us for our great work. As I turned to see Phantomhive I could see that he had his gaze fixed on Clayton. He was clearly up to something. That when out of nowhere Phantomhive puts his right hand on my right shoulder "I'm glad you are pleased!, Actually, we are really very good at doing housework. So if you got anything, please just ask us, okay? Clayton ..." Phantomhive said with a smile, the biggest I've seen in him. I watched him for a few seconds, I'm sure it is not normal to see him smile like that. However, it was clearly a fake smile. When someone is really smiling, the eyes and the nose would crinkle. But his muscles were very stiff.

-“Yes, just ask us if you need anything”, I said to Clayton with a smile. I’m sure we looked like a pair of angels…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeeees, another chapter. This doesnt have a lot historical references, but we get to know more about Rachel Gotha, the girl who used to be the Queen's right hand.


	4. That Countess, Being Herself

_Monday_

_August  12th, 1889_

**_I_ ** _n the morning_

A week has passed since Earl Phantomhive agreed to do any kind of work for Clayton, he began to ask us to help him in a lot of  things each day. However, with the help of the butler of the Phantomhive family, all these errands were perfectly fulfilled and on time. Our classmates were beginning to wonder how we were doing all those housework and homework, to which Phantomhive just replied that he had "A little trick to do all the tasks faster." As for our grades, all the content was easy for me. Likewise, Ciel's notes were really high too.

-“Everyone is wondering about which senior will get any of you as their fag”  Said Mcmilan, with whom we talk lately whenever we have the opportunity, since it is easy to get information from him. This was clearly influenced by the manipulation techniques I used on him as well as other students in this school. Demonstrating the love and knowledge I'm supposed to have for Weston makes people feel that I really belong to this place, so they share information more easily. A basic point in manipulation, a class that David always reminded me of.

As for Mcmilan, I could easily deduce that he is not an only child. He probably has one or two sisters, since unlike other students he is not ashamed to talk about girls. Although he belongs to a family with a title that he will inherit in the future, it is probably a duchy, if it were of a higher rank probably his personality would be different. He would be proud guy in front of the other students that I know are children of Counts, Barons or Marquises. Power always brings out the worst side in people's personality. Like most students in the Sapphire Owl Dormitory,  he always had his middle fingers in the writing hand with calluses, and parts of his hands with scraps of ink. "Personally, I think it might be Clayton," said the enthusiastic young man. "But which of the two will he ask? Clayton ask for favors to both of you but he can only have one fag "

-"I'd be honored," I said, "But Clayton will decide. I would not mind if Ciel is chosen, he deserves it. "And in fact, all the work is done by his butler, Sebastian. I really do not understand in what time that butler did all the tasks that Ciel ordered him.

Although it was easy to talk to Mcmilan, it was also really easy to lose his attention. This guy really changes subjects every minute. While talking about the time he got stuck in a fence, a young man came up to tell us that a certain Cole wanted to talk to us, a senior fag of the scarlet fox dormitory's prefect. Outside, we met a young man of short stature. However, clearly taller than Ciel and me. He had blond hair and green eyes, he was a really handsome young man. While I wasted a few seconds watching his appearance and gestures, my thoughts were interrupted by his voice. While we were greeted with a smile and a really warm tone, it was easy to know that he was faking it.

\- "Are you Gotha and Phantomhive? Pleased to meet you! I'm Maurice Cole, Redmond's fag "

-"Can we help you?" I said, staring into his eyes with a smile, as I watched him closely, I began to contemplate his skin, it looked really soft. It is not common to see a boy taking care of his skin so much. While I thought that probably in this school my appearance was one of the best, because obviously my features were thinner and I always looked after my face and although I hid it. I still had the delicacy of who was educated as a lady of the Gotha family, but this young man really looked great, almost as if he was wearing ....

\- "Right, you know prefects and their fags often meet together at the swan gazebo, and the other day we were talking about the amazing new students" said the young man smiling, a fake smile. "So Phantomhive and Gotha, would you come to the Swan Gazebo tomorrow at 4pm?" It was automatic, I turned to see Phantomhive. He probably thought the same thing I did, it was our chance to get closer to the P4.

\- "We would be glad" said the Earl

After Cole walked away, a wave of students approached us and began to ask questions. After speaking for a while, I excused myself and went out into the courtyard. A few minutes later the Earl came too. We agreed to meet with his butler that night.

  

**_In the night_ **

 Earl Phantomhive was in front of the office door where Professor Michaelis answered the doubts of those students who did not understand the classes. After knocking at the door, Ciel indicated that it was us, pretending to be his student. "You seem to be popular Professor Michaelis," Ciel said, closing the office door after holding it for a few seconds so I could get in before him. Inside was his butler sitting in front of a desk full of documents.

\- "Everyone is praising the way I explain and my kindness," said the butler as he got up and helped Phantomhive to get his coat off, then approached me and asked me permission to do the same.

\- "We were invited to meet the P4 tomorrow at 4pm. It's a golden chance. We have to make sure they like us," Ciel said as he sat comfortably. A few seconds later, I sat down in front of him.

\- "However tomorrow at 4pm I must teach my cricket class. What shoud I give priority to? "Said the butler as he poured two cups of tea, which he handed to his master and me.

\- "We can do it alone. And to make up for it, Sebastian is an order ... prepare the best teacakes to amaze the P4" said the Earl with a smile clearly planning something.

\- "Yes, my lord." However, as I watched the butler and his master talk, my mind was elsewhere. Something did not fit into this situation.

-"You've been very quiet, Gotha, is there something you want to say?" He said, interrupting my thoughts, so I looked up at him to find his blue eye fixed on me. He was really interested in what I have to say, there were no other signs.

-"Something does not fit," I said as I got up and walked to the window with my arms crossed. The moon was still low, shining on the desolate campus. After placing my index finger on my chin, I turned to see the Earl and his butler. "Maurice Cole was hiding something. He tried to keep eye contact with you and me all the time. It is natural to look away in a conversation, but liars often believe that maintaining eye contact with us would make us believe everything they say. However he was not nervous while he lied to us, his breathing was normal. That is, he is accustomed to lying. But, I'm not sure if he was just pretending to be nice or some part of the conversation was a lie. In fact, even the appearance of that young man is fake. It's impossible for his skin to look softer than mine" I said, irritated. A few seconds later I could hear the earl's laughter.

-"Well, Countess," said the Earl as he stood up. "I was beginning to believe that you had fallen in love with Cole because of the intensity with which you looked at him." Phantomhive approached me, next to the window. "Now I can understand why the Queen preferred to have you always by her side, I assume you were normally doing -that-"

\- "That?" I said as I tilted my head and looked at the Earl, he touched a sensitive issue trying to imply that the Queen was using me.

\- "That ... to read to people. A very useful skill for a Queen, if you ask me" he said, as he averted his gaze from me to the window. I was silent, I did not want to respond to that insinuation, so I simply fixed my eyes on his face that was not watching me. However, it really touched something inside me. Pain, fears and resentments that had been hidden within me for a year now.

At that moment, another student knocked on the door and entered the office, so we were forced to resume our performance and say goodbye to Professor Michaelis. While we were walking to our room, We were completely quiet. That night I could not sleep, actually several nights I could not fall asleep but this particular night, my thoughts were having a battle inside my head. That is why regardless of the time, I took a small candle that I had in my drawer and left the room. Once out of the bedroom I walked a few steps to sit in a bench that was in the corridors. It was very late already, the moon was fully elevated, so everything was silent and dark. Only the moonlight indicated the way. A few minutes later I saw Phantomhive came out of the room too, he walked a few steps just like me and sat on the sofa that was in front of me.

\- "I'm sorry if I woke you up, I did not mean to," I said, staring at him.

\- "Do not worry, I actually have a really light sleep. Since we had our conversation in Sebastian's office I noticed that something was distracting you" Ciel said as he crossed his leg over the other and settled into the chair. Upon hearing his comment I was really surprised. I'm not easy to read, I know perfectly how to control my body language. However, the Earl realized that something was happening to me. Did I really distract myself so much that it was obvious that something was happening to me?

\- "How do you know? I'm the one who usually does –that-" I said, smiling, taking up the issue that was unfinished before.

\- "I figured that was the issue that caused your discomfort however, I do not think I said anything wrong" he said as he turned his head and looked towards the corridors.

After a few minutes in which I questioned if I really wanted to have this conversation with Phantomhive, I started to talk. All those things that have not gone out of my head since a year ago, began to come out one by one of my mouth without problem. "It's true, you did not say anything wrong. But the fact that you realized that the Queen had me by her side just because I was useful, so quickly, I was surprised. What it took me more than 5 years to understand, you said it one week after you met me" I said as I gathered my legs on the bench and hugged them. Leaning my head over them, looking straight at the Earl. "Perhaps, I was too innocent to understand the second intentions of the person who practically raised me"

\- "The Queen is a really smart and clever woman," Phantomhive said as he crossed his arms. I looked away from him for a second as I lifted my head and placed my chin on my knees. Looking towards the moon. The Earls's voice made me turn back to him.

-"Is ... Rachel really your name?" He asked, glancing to the empty corridor to the right. The fact that he looked away made me smile.

-"Yes, Rachel is my name from birth," I said. "But, as you must have already deduced, Gotha is the last name the Queen gave me after taking me in her custody," I said, laying my head back on my knees again.

\- "Why did she just give you the name Gotha? It's less than half the surname of the Queen and the royal family" he said, turning his head again to meet me directly in the eyes. He was clearly curious, but in fact anyone would be with a story as strange as why I have that last name.

\- "Do you really want to hear the story of my last name? It's a long one" I said and Phantomhive nodded in approval.

\- "In short, Queen Victoria comes from the House of Hanover, the House of her father and her uncle, King William IV. Nevertheless his mother belonged to the German house Saxony-Coburg-Saalfeld. Her husband, the late Prince Albert, belonged to the house of Saxony-Coburg-Gotha, that's why it's also the lastname of the Queen's son, the future king. I, who had no title or surname of nobility, could not simply bear the same name of his children, since it could create family and political conflicts. However, the Queen did not want to name me as part of the Saxony-Coburg, either, if she had the choice to give me a name, she preferred to avoid one that linked me to her mother. It is thus, that in honor to his late husband, I assume, she decided to give me only the last name Gotha. A name of the British Royalty and the German nobility. A surname worthy of receiving a title. Thus appears the Countess Rachel Gotha, right hand of the Queen. Of all things, I thank her for letting me use my real name ... Rachel, is it a nice name, don’t you think so? "I said smiling to Ciel

\- "It is ... It was the name of one of my predecessors" he said, looking away.

\- "I know, that's why I asked you, I'm sure you like my name," I said, standing up and heading to the bedroom. "Ciel, tomorrow will be a long day and I do not want to see your face with dark circles" I said as I turned to see him and pointed his eyes "I hope that in the same way, one day you feel comfortable enough to tell me your story, the one you father did not see to tell me" I said, turning and entering the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys, I have this week's chapter  
> Hope you like it!


	5. That Countess, Deceived

_Thursday_

_August 2, 1888_

**_In the night_ **

\- "Hey David," said the little girl with long blond hair, her hazel eyes focused on the full moon that decorated the sky that night. She was leaning on one of the thousands windows of the Kensington Palace, dressed in an elegant and wide light blue dress. It had white laces decorating her shoulders, her waist and the layers of her skirt. In the same way, she was wearing a small bow that collected part of her hair in a half tail.

\- "Yes, my lady?" Said the butler. He looked like a young man in his thirties. Tall, with a small gray mane gathered in a tail. His long arms held a tray with a teapot and a cup, he was prepared to serve the tea.

-"Why? Why wasn’t I able to realize the lies that the Queen told me? Why couldn’t I realize that everyone was lying to me? Why could I read all the people who visited the Queen or those who the previous watchdog took me to meet, but I was not able to realize their lies? "Said the young woman, while a tear fell down her cheek.

\- "That is, my lady, because you just didn't want to doubt the people you loved. I'm sure you noticed the signs all the time, it’s just that your brain decided to discard them. You preferred to act with your heart" said the butler as he served the tea and handed it to Countess Gotha.

\- "You ... you always knew everything too, didn’t you?" She turned to see directly to the eyes of her butler, the one who had accompanied her since her name and appearance changed.

-“That's right, I always knew. But I had a vow of silence as did all the people who knew your story at the Palace. But I assure you, the Queen had the best intentions" David said, pointing with his arm to the sofa in front of the fireplace for his master to sit.

\- "I don’t know, although I had a better upbringing and education in the Palace that I would have had in my hometown ... maybe if I had been told the truth from the beginning ... I would have helped her anyway ... As you say, David, I would have acted with my heart and I would have helped her, I would never have denied a command of the Queen, if I had been told the truth, I would have followed her anyways , I was alone with no place to go, maybe I acted with my heart but I was not stupid ... forget the last part ... I take it back ...  I was stupid"said the blonde girl, letting out a big sigh" Maybe ... I should start acting according to my brain, according to reasons... ". The little Countess got up and went to the window, the moon was already higher. After turning around and seeing the bright green eyes of his butler, she uttered the last words of the conversation: "Anyway, I wonder what would have happened to me if Earl Phantomhive had not come to" rescue me "that day? Would I live in the streets? Or would I still be looking for my parents? "

-"That is an answer that unfortunately I do not have, my lady," said the butler, opening the door to the room and giving way to his master to go to her room.

 

   

_Tuesday_

_August 13, 1889_

_**In the afternoon** _

\- "Shit, he tricked me!" Said the blue eyed young man, throwing the basket on the floor with the freshly prepared sweet.

\- "I knew it!, I knew Cole was hiding something, how could we be fooled so easily? This happened because I trusted your judgment, next time I decide our movement "I said, sitting in the first chair I found in the office of Professor Michaelis.

\- "You never said that he told us a fake time for the meeting! If you had started there, this would not have happened," said Phantomhive, taking his hair with both hands at the sides of his head.

\- "I told you he was lying," I said indignantly. "But I remind you I don’t know how to read minds, I didn’t know that we were being fooled about the time of the meeting" I said as I crossed my arms, though in fact it was my mistake.

\- "That's why I hate verbal promises" said Phantomhive irritated his butler

\- "I think both of you underestimated him because he's just a student” said Butler Michaelis as he poured two cups of tea.

\- "I will make him regret this, nobody lies to me Maurice Cole .... I will not let anyone fool me again "I said, as I clenched my fists in my hand, digging my nails into my palms because of the anger I felt. When I looked up, I found Earl Phantomhive's large blue eye fixed on me, then he smiled as he leaned his back on the couch and crossed his legs.

\- "We will make him regret ruining our hard work ... Maurice Cole" he said and proceeded to take a bite of the sweet that the butler prepared

 

_**In the night** _

\- "As you said Gotha, Maurice Cole is probably the lying jailbird. His hands ... "

\- "They are too soft ..." I said interrupting the Earl as I crossed my arms.

\- "Yes, all of the school's fags have rough hands from doing the upper classmen's chores, but his hands are pearly white" Ciel said as he brought the tea cup to his lips.

\- "In other words he is using some dirty methods just like both of you" said Professor Michaelis, putting his hand to his mouth in a pensive position.

\- "Don't include me in that! At least I tried to do something ... although I couldn’t ... "I said as I smiled and watched Earl Phantomhive become irritated.

\- "It will take some time to prove that what he said was wrong ... but we need to seek out other people who have been deceived by him too" I said as I smelt the tea, the aroma was really pleasant. All the food prepared by the butler of the Phantomhive family was exquisite, I have come to worship their sweets in the short time we have been here.

\- "Also, investigate Maurice's patern activity," the boy said with a serious look at his butler.

\- "As you wish"

 That night, just like the others, I couldn’t sleep. While I was lying on the bed, I remembered the deception in which we fell today.

\- "I can really be useless without your help, David ... you should be here reminding me of the promise I made… to think everything only on the basis of reason," I said softly, as I lay on my side, I could see Ciel deeply asleep "How can you sleep peacefully here, is it because you know that your butler takes care of you?" I watched his face for a few minutes, seeing him without his eyepatch... I could clearly see his features, those that reminded me of his father. I stared at him for a few minutes, until I simply collapsed to the weariness of that day.

 

  

_Wednesday_

_August 14, 1889_

_**In the morning** _

That morning the rumor spread easily, which irritated me. Having all those people talking badly about us behind our backs - when we could hear them clearly - reminded me that I should always be alert with these students. At least I will not have to pretend to be the kindest person in the universe if Ciel is the only person I can talk to now.

\- "The influence of the P4 is really strong" said the Earl, interrupting my thoughts "It will be hard to get testimonies out of the people who were there at the time"

\- "Today, let's follow Cole," I said as I crossed my hands and placed them under my chin. "Although it will probably be difficult to see his activities inside the Scarlet Fox Dormitory" I said with a sigh. "We must unmask Maurice Cole and win the admiration of all these young fools who are so easily manipulated by those prefects. To be loved by all, to be nice to them until it is time to destroy them. "I remembered that phrase, it is the right moment to put it into practice.

Earl Phantomhive simply looked at me with a smile, as if indicating that he planned to do the same. That afternoon, we dedicated ourselves to see the activities of that stupid boy.

 

**_In the night_ **

\- "There were four students who had fallen victim to Maurice Cole. There is also a large chance that he leaves all his fag work to others" the Butler said as he showed us a list.

\- "I want to know his movements within the Red House but you have to do my work during fag time and all. I'd like another pawn in the red house since Maurice Cole is there" the Earl said as he crossed his arms. "Why were you not sent to that Dormitory if you're from the royalty, Gotha?"

-"Sorry? I'm not your pawn. Besides, this was the only vacancy we found. I also assume that my talent for studies stood out more than my title. In fact ... it's weird, why didn't the principal assign me to the Scarlet Fox Dormitory?" I said irritaded and intrigued. "As you said, I come from the Queen's Family. It takes someone from a high status to be admitted to the Scarlet House, someone who is really special that can be admitted if there is no vacancy... that's really weird ... What else do I need? Be a princess?" I said crossing my arms and leaning on the sofa, taking a bite of the sweet that prepared Sebastian "Do you know anyone?”

\- "I just thought of someone but I definitely do not want to call him" said Phantomhive while covering his face with his hand "Uuuuurgggggggh. Are you sure you do not know anyone, Gotha? Ciel said as he looked up at the ceiling, as if he were praying to heaven for a second option.

-"No, I don't want to ask a favor to anyone from that Palace" I said, “If the Phantomhive Family has someone willing to help us without asking for anything in return, I'd rather take that option. Is he a friend of yours?”

\- "Dam, I guess necessity knows no law. I'll use everything I've got" he said irritated crossing his arms.

\- "I really want to meet that friend of you. To think that there is someone who supports you" I said smiling and getting up "Thank you Sebastian, I really love the sweets you prepare"

\- "How could I be the butler of the Phantomhive Family if I could not prepare some sweets that enchants the Countess Gotha"

 That night, again I decided to go out of the room to see the sky. However, this time Earl Phantomhive did not leave the room after me. I guess this time I didn't wake him up. As I sat down and placed my chin on my knees, I watched the moon for a few minutes, who is that friend who will come to help Ciel?, I don’t  think I have anyone that I could ask a favor knowing he wouldn’t ask anything in return. I stood for a few more minutes staring into the sky. Later I heard the bedroom door open and Ciel coming out of the room. After walking a few steps, just like some nights ago, he sat on the sofa in front of me. "I'm sure I did not wake you up this time, did you need my presence in the room to sleep?" I said with a mocking smile to the Earl.

-"Mcmilan was looking for us but you had already left, he told me he would testify with the others that Cole cheated us and told us the wrong time" he said as a small smile formed on his lips.

\- "Well, with the help of your friend that comes tomorrow, we'll clearly be able to unmask that liar" I said as I stretched out my arms. "Honestly, I don't need to have seen Mcmilan while he was telling you all that to be sure he wasn’t lying ... why complicate himself so much to help us?" I said as I turned my gaze from the Earl to the moon again.

-"Why do you go out every night to see the moon? Just because of your lack of sleep?" Said the Earl after yawning, clearly he was sleepy.

\- "I like to see the sky at night, I've always liked watching the stars. Hidden in front of the bright and imposing sun of the mornings, but bright in the night. Forming a single landscape with the moon. The moon doesn’t want to hide them, it wants to decorate the sky along with them. Let the sun reign in the mornings, when all the people are awake doing their activities, but let the stars share their role at night, though no one sees them while they are sleeping, they are together in the dark. I ... I just wanted to be as kind as the moon. It reminds me of someone" I said as I smiled. Ciel was silent at my comment and simply stared at me. His expression clearly softened, his muscles are usually tense, maybe I should not have talked about the stars.

\- "You can be kind. That is a decision you can take” He said, crossing his arms and returning to his normal attitude.

\- "It's true, and I decided to stop being kind. Or at least I try ... to prevent someone from lying or deceiving me when I can be the one lying and deceiving ... "I said before I let out a yawn too and lay my head on my knees. The tiredness was coming to me.

-"Why do you trust me then? How do you know that I am not planning something behind your back? " Said Phantomhive, as he fixed his gaze on me and crossed his arms, to which I simply let out a small laugh.

-"Why do you think I trust you?" I said smiling "At the begining I didn't want to trust you. Well, if I ever had any doubt, you just confirmed that you're not lying to me. Your body language as you spoke told me everything" I said as I got up and stretched my arms "I know you're hiding something but I also know it's not just from me ... you are hiding something from everyone, but I do not really need to find out, it's not a matter that I should get into. As I said the first day of school, I do not get into your affairs and you do not get into mine, although I've already told you a few more things that I should had, honestly. So I'll ask you something too" I said, fixing my eyes on his face as I thought a question "You ... you hold a grudge against the people who burned your mansion ... you ... you seek revenge, don’t you? " It was a question that had been hanging around my head for some days. It was public knowledge that his parents were killed, but after this week of meeting him and being able to analyze his pattern of behavior and personality, at least the one he shows, I deduced that he was not the kind of person that forgets things.

\- "That's right, I came back to take revenge on those who humbled the name of the Phantomhive family, those who murdered my family and the one who tried to sacrifice me for their stupid beliefs." At that moment his face became completely cold and expressionless, with his gaze fixed on me. At times his gaze drifted to the right, some memory took his mind for seconds. "Have you not ever wanted to take revenge?" He said as he got up too and his eyes were higher than mine.

\- "I have not forgiven anyone, I do not forgive easily. But of the people who have hurt me, a couple of them I can’t hurt them because I owe them my life, wherever they are ... and the other person I could not either, I owe her everything I have now. Forget that, I'm not looking for revenge, I'm not going to lie to you" I said as I started walking towards the bedroom. "However, those people made me wake up and realize that not everything is pink in life "

The Earl advanced and opened the door for me to enter after saying "In short, Steal or be stolen ".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guuuuys, I'm so sorry i havent updated. School was hell. Anyways I wrote this like two week ago but I needed to traslated it. I only had the Spanish version. Also I changed some tags, the story is finally starting to get clear. WAIT FOR IT!!!!


	6. That Countess, Protected

_Friday_

_June 10th, 1887_

_**In the morning** _

It was common every morning to see a little girl running through the hallways of the Buckingham Palace, greeting each of the servants and helping everyone on her way to the studio. That morning, the little hazel-eyed blonde girl wore a soft pink dress with white bows all around but, unlike other days, her hair was completely tucked into a ponytail that David had made . She smiled after knocking three times the door of the room where she knew was the person she has accompanied the last few years.

\- "Good morning, Queen Victoria," she said after bowing and sitting on the chair in front of the desk. After taking some documents, the young girl began to separate the letters received that day according to the importance and urgency in which they were to be attended. A great celebration for the royal family was approaching.

That year, for Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, 50 kings and queens were invited on the occasion of her fiftieth anniversary on the throne. Five of the monarchs present were Indian princes and the Queen asked for two waiters of Indian origin to attend her guests. Later the same year, 1887, Abdul - one of them - became the Queen's teacher or as she used to call him, "munshi". Thus, on a couple of occasions the little girl traveled to India as representatives of the Empress. That innocent little girl had a very busy life, however, she was happy to have a job and a place to return to. She was happy to have a home after her was snatched that afternoon by bandits.

Years ago, in her hometown in another country, the intelligence of the girl had begun to be very famous, so her family was attacked one afternoon because of her, or at least that was what her mind created and repeated every tomorrow as if they were her memories. Every morning she remembered that day, almost every time in the first months after her arrival at the Palace holding  the Earl Phantomhive’s hand.

 

_Tuesday_

_August 15th, 1889_

_**In the morning** _

The next morning Ciel's friend went to the Public School, drawing all of the attention after his arrival on an elephant. That day, I wore my neat uniform and my hat in my hand. My blond hair was completely loose with the few waves that were formed after having brushed it strongly that morning. My face without makeup and my eyes sleepy due to the bad nights I have spent in this school. "He got into the red house just fine .... I guess the brand and wealth of Indian royalty is the real deal "said the young man with bluish black hair.

\- "Wait ... What? Is he an Indian Prince? Are you aware that Queen Victoria is Empress of India and that I was her right-hand, right? I think I got to know most of the Indian Royal Family... "I said as I retreated nervously ... the last thing I needed was someone recognizing me here.

-"What! Did you accompany the Queen to India? Why didn’t you start there?" Phantomhive said almost in panic as he held my arm so I would not escape his irritated gaze.

\- "CIEEEEEEL!" Even though I could not see the young man's face because of the height of the elephant and sunlight, I was afraid. So, Ciel and I turned and started walking with our backs to the great caravan that announced the arrival of the prince. However, the elephant's trunk lifted Ciel, who still held my arm. When I began to feel my body rise with his, I simply grasped him with both hands so as not to fall from that height. The prince, seeing the danger to which he was exposing me, ordered one of his servants to raise me also with another elephant, when I felt safe I let go of Ciel who let my arm go too. When I was already sitting on the elephant, I could breathe calmly at the face of the young prince whom I did not recognize or at least I didn’t remember. Ciel's friend apologized for about 5 minutes. "This shy boy here is Gotha ... Jacob Gotha ... he is a new friend but let’s just forget about him for now, I called you for a reason. I had a fight with Maurice Cole, a senior from the red house, the dormitory where you are going. As you also know, I do not have many friends, just this guy and Maurice and I would like your help with this .. "At the Earl's word, it was impossible to restrain a smile. This young man must be really innocent. After a long talk, Phantomhive ended up persuading his friend to observe and inform all of Cole's activities so that together we could look for a "way to solve this misunderstanding" between them. After getting off that elephant, we continued with the classes. Later, I met again with Phantomhive and his butler.

-"Then Gotha, do you know Prince Soma?" Ciel said as he tasted a mouthful of dessert that afternoon.

-"Ugh, I don’t remember him. I never bothered to memorize all of the names of the Indian Princes, they are a lot and it’s been a long time since I traveled. If I don’t remember him, he probably will not either" I said, feeling stressed as I sat on the couch and crossed my arms. "In any case, I prefer to avoid meeting with him, tomorrow tell me about the discoveries that the prince makes."

-"All right, tomorrow at this hour in Sebastian's office," said the Earl, standing up and heading for the dining room.

 

_Friday_

_August 16th, 1889_

_**In the morning** _

-"What? You can’t just tell me not to get involved, "I said irritated, getting up from the couch and pounding the table with both palms of my hands, staring at Ciel, who was sitting on the other side of the desk.

-"I will settle matters with Cole today, I don’t need you to be there," said the Earl, turning the chair toward the window. "You're not useful to me this time"

-"I'm not useful to you? I remind you that I'm not your pawn. This is a job for which you and I are paid, and you want to break our agreement. Look me in the eyes, do not try to hide your face." I needed to see some reaction in his face that explained this sudden change of mind. Suddenly Ciel got up and walked straight towards me with his eye fixed on my face, clearly angry. For each step he came closer, clearly trying to intimidate me. However, his face was completely blank. It was not until his face was only inches from mine that I stepped back to get away from him. A serious mistake on my part, from that moment Phantomhive took power in the situation and made me back a few more steps. "Do not get closer to me, you can’t intimidate me this way," I said, looking at his face but in a lower voice than the one I was using a few minutes ago.

-"Do you have any written proof that I, Earl Ciel Phantomhive, accepted some kind of agreement? Sorry, but don’t get into the affairs of the Queen's Watchdog" He said, his face still expressionless. Has he been faking this whole week just to get information from me? I know he hides something from me, but I don’t think he was pretending to be "nice", his mask would have fallen for at least a second. However, I can’t say what is going through his mind now. That face, that expression on his face as he stared at me, only made me remember his father and how good he was at hiding things from me.

After being still for a few seconds, I put my mask back on. With a smile on my face, with my right hand I gave the Earl a little push to get him away and now, I was the one who stepped forward "Who do you think you are talking to, Earl?. Don’t you dare to talk that way again to a member of the Gotha's house, You can’t talk to me like that because I am part of the royal family. If you want things to stay this way, that's fine with me, no problem. But I'm sure that making you fall will be way easier than everything else" After my words, Phantomhive simply crossed his arms because he could not answer. "This will not stay this way, Phantomhive. We'll see who meets the principal of this public school first" After uttering my words, I was finally able to read a face of surprise and irritation, I proceeded to turn and left the room after the butler opened the door, his face with a smile as always.

I walked for a few minutes through the school corridors to the central courtyard, looked up and I could see the sky for a few minutes. The sun was just as bright as the first day I attended this school and just as brilliant as the day I began to live in the Palace, that day when I could see a bright new beginning in front of me. That day in spite of being sad because of the dead of my parents, in spite of the fear that still made me tremble and all the disappointment I had to the world that was treating me so bad despite not doing anything wrong, that day I could smile as I saw the new opportunities that Earl Phantomhive was presenting to me before entering Queen Victoria's meeting room, in my newly finished white dress and my long hair.

I decided I needed more time to think, so I simply went to the terrace of the building and sat on a bench. After 20 minutes I came to the conclusion that exposing Cole at this point would be useless since probably Ciel's plan would be carried out that afternoon. After all, if I really knew him, I knew he would probably make Cole expose himself. But even if the whole truth about Maurice was discovered, I can’t stand with my arms folded. After thinking of a good idea to culminate my revenge, a presence interrupted my thoughts.

\- "I actually thought you'd come before, I thought worry would not let you stay at home" I said with a smile after turning my face and meet with bright green eyes.

\- "Excuse me, my lady, for disobeying your orders. But, I had to check that you were well" said David, after apologizing with a bow.

-"Thank you for coming, I really needed company today." I turned my face back to the sky until my eyes began to moisten with tears and I didn’t want them to fall. "I fell again, I was again deceived by someone in that family. Have they put some kind of spell on me? Why can they lie to me so easily? "I said with my hands in fists.”I don’t know how much longer I can bear pretending to be a tough, rough girl"

\- "For the same reason, I took the audacity to come and visit you. As I mentioned before you enrolled in this school, I knew that being close to a member of that family would not let you work normally" David took a few steps and stood in front of me, so I looked up and smiled. "Your memories with that family will always interfere with your work, especially with that young man, current Earl of the Phantomhive family. His resemblance to him will make you constantly remember him. "

\- "You're right but, even if they look so similar, their personalities were not the same" I said looking back to the sky. "Anyway, even if I am tired of all this, I am already here and I must finish my duty in the name of the Queen" Rising abruptly and with an all visible determination on my face I turned toward the stairs. "I will not let this stay this way, neither with Cole nor with Phantomhive. He may have that inhuman butler able to do everything, but he will not beat me with that." I said smiling, while waiting for David's response however, because of his silence I turned my head to look at him.

\- "Inhuman?" That was all he said.

\- "The butler of the Phantomhive family is also infiltrated here as a teacher. However, he does a lot of tasks every day and does them very well. It's amazing, I really do not understand how he does it " With one hand on my chin, I saw David with a worried face.

\- "He's not human. I have felt a presence in this place, so I am very sorry to tell you my lady that I can’t leave you. I'll have to ... stay to protect you, your body and especially your soul." David, for the first time, showed irritation and concern on his face.

-"Because ... I'm a soul worthy of a second chance, right?" I said as I looked at David, without masks, without worries, David knew everything about me even when I didn’t tell him.

\- "Because I can’t allow a demon to try to steal a soul under my protection."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, sorry ... I was really busy. But i'm free noooow!.  
> Anyway, just remember english is not my first language and I have to translate everything I write in spanish.


	7. That Countess, Playing around

 

_Sunday_

_July 31th, 1881_

**_In the night_ **

Everything was on fire, the place was lit by the warm flames and in the distance everyone could hear the cries of children and adults who couldn't escape from that place hidden among the mountains.

However the little girl ran, looking for a way out and maintaining her last hope. Every day she got up with the yearning to see her parents again, but that dream was about to be destroyed that night. Suddenly, something fell in front of her, striking her and throwing her to the floor, the last thing she saw that day was a tall man with glasses staring at her, as if he was analyzing every feature of her. The girl was very tired ...

The girl closed her eyes after seeing another man wearing an elegant suit approaching her too.

The girl gave what should have been her last breath.

__

 

_Friday_

_January 5, 1883_

_**In the morning** _

After concluding his meeting with the Queen, Earl Phantomhive went to the garden where he knew that smiling girl would be waiting.

\- "As studious as ever," the Earl said with a smile as he offered a sweet to the little girl who thanked him and answered with a smile.

\- "The history of this nation is so interesting but so difficult to memorize," said the hazel-eyed little girl as she frowned.

\- “It was always difficult for me to learn the important dates, my younger sister has always taken advantage of me in that aspect", to which the little girl responded with a short laugh.

\- "How is your family doing, Earl?" The little girl closed the book and motioned for her butler to serve two cups of tea.

\- "Okay, actually less than a month ago we were celebrating birthdays. The Earl said as he carried the cup of tea to his mouth. I assume the Queen has not told you about this before but I would like you to visit my mansion in the next few months" he said with a small smile. The little blonde girl watched him for a few minutes, analyzing each of his reactions and movements. After a few seconds, the smile returned to her face. "Sure, it would be my pleasure."

\- "That makes me happy, we'll set a date later. However, for now I would like you to accompany me to another small meeting with the owner of a company which is clearly doing soemthing illegal. I really don’t like getting you involved in such matters, but your Majesty insists. "

The little girl looked into his butler's eyes and wondered for a second, trying to understand the reasons behind the Queen's request.

\- "If the Queen commands it, so shall it be ..."

 

_Friday_

_August 16th, 1889_

_**In the afternoon** _

 - "Why would a demon act as a butler? Why would he be in the service of the Phantomhive family? "I said crossing my arms with a bunch of questions in my head.

-"They probably have some kind of contract. Those beings would do anything in exchange for a soul to fill them" David said in disgust as he adjusted his glasses.

-"In exchange for his soul? I mean ... Ciel offered his life for something? " I said surprised and confused." He told me he came back only to take revenge ... then ...". That discovery struck me like a bucket of cold water, the fact that he simply offered his soul while other people struggled to live, that his life now revolves only around that revenge, What would his family think about it? What would he think about all this?. "I need your help since you're here, I have a little plan against someone named Maurice Cole. I need some banners to be distributed all over this school, these are the phrases that must be written on them" I said, handing some cards to David."Ciel is probably carrying out his plan right now, but I also need to enjoy some of that revenge. Don’t let that butler see you, your identity must be kept hidden. If you come across him, hide your eyes or something ... do not let him know you're a shinigami.

\- "Yes, my lady," said the butler as he bowed.

\- "As for Phantomhive, I'll think about my revenge later"

When the sun was already beginning to hide and the day began to run out, all the plans had been carried out. While the entire school was full of posters with phrases like "Maurice Cole, King of Makeup" or "Cole, give me the Chef's contact you always hire to do your fag work" the final touch was the photographs that the Demon scattered all over the yard. As I made my way to the Dormitory, in the distance I could see a familiar face ... a smile decorated my face after an idea crossed my head.

\- "Hey, Kadar! How are you? "I said as I approached the young prince with a smile.

\- "Gotha, nice to see you! Have you seen Ciel? I've been looking for him everywhere" he said with a sad face but his eyes full of anticipation.

\- "Yes, I was with him some hours ago but ... we kind of got into a fight. I'm really sad because of him." Looking at the floor, I stepped to the side.

-"Oh? Really? What happened? "The prince tried to look me in the eye as I dodged his gaze.

For this part of the conversation, the palms of my hands were already covering my eyes. "You know ... I really thought I was his friend but he just told me that I'm not and that I'm useless to him. I'm so sad ... I really cherished him as a friend but he just used me. You should be careful to ... Are you sure he sees you as a friend? "

\- "That's just like him. You are probably getting pretty close ... he is like that ... he refuses to accept any kind of affection even though he is aware of it. I do not know if he has told you this, but something happened to his family ... so he lives for the sake of revenge. That's why he lives a life of solitude. I saw you two being together all day, talking about different things. You two were always together. So ... I will ask you this as his friend too ... let's just stay with him. I already know I could get hurt too but ... I will stay with him until we both laugh as friends. "

At that moment I could not answer, that boy who seemed immature and innocent for his age was giving me full explanation of what Ciel needed. At that moment, for the first time, I questioned whether Ciel had any other reason for leaving me that morning. "Thank you Kadar, I'm really sorry I just came here to say those kind of things" And with a smile, I said goodbye to the young prince. After the meeting I had planned to go to the terrace of the dormitories to meet David, but to my surprise I managed to meet another person.

-"Hey Gotha," as I heard my name being called, I turned to meet a pair of green eyes staring "I'm Midford, Greenhill's fag"

-"Oh! Hello ... Have things been solved already? I talked to Phantomhive in the morning and he told me not to worry about it after seeing me so sad about the latest developments, he told me that he would take care of everything and that he would solve all this misunderstanding so that we can continue without problems in this school. He didn't want me to get involved in anything dangerous" I said, looking down at the floor with a sad face.

-"Oh! Yes, everything has been clarified thanks to Ciel. He probably tried to protect you because if we had not arrived on time the situation would have been very unpleasant "he said as he stared at me.

-"Unpleasant?" I said, tilting my head in curiosity.

\- "Some students beat him and sought to blackmail him with some kind of embarrassing photographs. But Ciel did everything possible to prevent such an unworthy act from happening in this school. He said he likes Weston, just like you, as far as I can tell, both of you have many things in common, I assume that is why you get along so well. Or at least that's what I expect." Said the young blond while his eyes were fixed on mine, his gaze was strangely familiar to me.

-"If you and Phantomhive are here, should I assume that the Queen sent you here?" Said the young man. It was at that moment that I realized, he is the son of Duke Midford, the leader of the British Knights. I practiced with him a couple of times in my childhood with Charles Gray and Charles Phipps. I never crossed a word with him or his sister, I didn’t think he would recognized me.

\- "Please stay out of the Watchdog business" I said with a serious face "Thank you for the information. For the sake of the relationship between your family and the Gotha house, I hope you keep my identity a secret." I continued my way without looking back for a single second.

 

 _**In the night** _  

That night, I slept with my back to Phantomhive, neither of us had said a word since the incident in the morning. However, knowing that David was close, I felt at ease, even though I had ordered him not to approach me unless I was in great danger.

_Fire_

_Screams_

_And later…_

_Darkness_

_But, there was a light at the end of the tunnel_

_When I walked towards that light_

_A gloved hand held my arm_

_That gloved hand that must have been David's_

_But after turning around_

_I saw his face, with those warmth eyes I used to like_

_While I was paralyzed, the boy walked to the tunnel in my place_

_But I _couldn’t_ reach his arm_

_I couldn’t scream_

_Despite trying with all my strength_

_I couldn’t move..._

_Even in the room I was in now ... I couldn’t move_

Then that nightmare ended. I could feel my quick pulse and the scream I wanted to release and could not on the tip of my tongue, tears falling down my cheeks. And in front of me was he, in his eye the same look of those who watched me in my nightmare. His arms held my shoulders until one of his hands moved to my forehead "You have a fever" those words made me react and hit his hand to the side. "Don’t touch me" was the last thing I said before getting up and walking out of the room. After walking a few steps, I returned to the place I thought I wouldn’t visit tonight. However this time I didn’t sit on the bench, I sat on the cold floor hugging my legs and crying all those emotions trapped inside me. It had been a long time since I had cried under the starry sky. Half an hour later, after I had calmed down, I kept my face hidden in my arms. But a voice behind me made me regret all of the tears he probably heard me shed.

\- "I am ... sorry"

\- "You don’t need to be sorry. Why did you say that to me now? "I said as I lifted my face" I was the stupid one who believed you, you just stole that opportunity ... Like you told me a few days ago ... Steal or be stolen " When I finished talking, I got up without the help of Ciel's hand.

-"I didn’t want you to get involved in that meeting where I knew those students would attack us" he said as he looked away at different points but not at my eyes. That is a sign that he feels ashamed or guilty, but I couldn’t trust him anymore.

-"And why would you be? After all, you've always hated me" I said, crossing my arms after wiping away a tear that was still on my cheek.

\- "I don’t really have any reason to hate you, you only fulfill the work that was entrusted to you"

\- "You've always hated me Ciel Phantomhive, you told me that you didn’t like me a couple of times when we were kids, saying that I was not the right girl. When we grew up you never spoke to me, that's why I tell you that I was the stupid one who thought that all of that was in the past. Why do you think I would believe you now?" I said angry, indignant and furious. A sensitive subject of my past that I did not want to talk about again. Nevertheless, the earl was completely silent, struck with a face that showed surprise. His eyes drifted to his right, he is trying to remember something he was told or heard. But why? His eyes then turned a little to the left until his eyes met mine. His eyebrows creased a little and his mouth twitched a little to the right. He didn’t believe me ... he didn't..

-"You don’t remember it, do you?" I said, rolling my eyes and letting out a desperate sigh.

-"I didn’t say those things" he said, turning his back on me.

-"Don’t lie to me, I already saw every move you made." I said as I walked away and started my way to the bedroom. But the Earl turned quickly and just as my dream, a hand held my arm to stop me and he stood in front of me "Look at me. I don’t hate you, I am not lying to you. If I were doing it I would not tell you this straight to your face. Look at me and tell me that I'm lying to you." And all I could see on his face were signs of nervousness or anxiety: he was constantly swallowing and holding his breath.

\- "I ... will just go to sleep" I said more calmly, I needed to think many things that night.

\- "Stop thinking that everyone hates you ... when they have no reason to. You are not the cause of the evils" and those words stabbed me worse than a dagger, only one person had told me something similar, and that was several years ago. I turned around, with an expressionless face "What? Why do you say that?" To which the earl only answered with a smile. "Good night, Gotha ... Rachel Gotha. I told Clayton that you were the person behind the whole plan but that I carried it out because between the two of us you are the weak and sickly one. Tomorrow he wants to see us in the chapel, even though he will probably ask me to be his Fag, he said that all P4s wants you by my side" He said after opening the door for me to enter first.

****

****

 

_Saturday_

_August 17th, 1889_

**_In the morning_ **

**** The next morning, Clayton asked Ciel to be his fag, officially you could only have one. However, as promised, I was on Ciel's side vowing to help him in everything as well. Then Ciel met his butler, he told me I could attend if I wanted to. However, I had promised a classmate to help him study.

Already in the afternoon we finally met with the P4 and their fags in the Swan Gazebo. At the meeting was also Midford, so the atmosphere between the two of us felt a little uncomfortable. In the conversation several subjects were spoken, among them the Cricket Tournament that was approaching.

\- "Even the Queen watches the boat parade of the winning dormitory from the Windsor Castle" said Bluewer. It was inevitable to see him and then turn my gaze towards Phantomhive. However, he was distracted by seeing Violet's drawing. The queen told me at some point about the parade, but I didn't want her to see me in it. I let out a sigh.

 -“On those days women can come too!" said Redmond. It's been a long time since I've worn a pretty dress. When I looked up I met Ciel's blue eye, probably he was remembering the same thing and I simply smiled wryly.

-"By the way, Midford's sister is your fiance, right?" And with Redmond's question I also remembered many things. Engagements, arrangements between families ... what made me wake up from my thoughts was the question "Did you at least kiss?" My gaze locked on Ciel, all the curiosity probably visible on my face. But he didn't respond, and it was only possible to see his frown when he stopped being the center of attention.

-"I'm really looking forward to that day" said the Earl with a fake smile showing anticipation.

\- "I also do! but it is hard to fight against the other students when you are friends with them" I said while touching my neck and with a smile. If I understood the Earl's intentions well, I knew where I wanted to lead the conversation.

\- "Fighting against the violet House will be hard since we have a friend there. His name is Derrick Arden. " said the Earl

But, the atmosphere changed completely and I took the opportunity to analyze each of the faces and the body language of each of the students gathered that afternoon. The prefects were shocked: they had their mouth opened, widen eyes and hunched sholders. They know something that fags do not.

\- "Oh yeah, Derrick wrote me he was in the Red House, so we were surprised to learn he had transferred to purple house after I entered the school." I said smiling

\- "He was even my fag for a while, he was excellent"

\- "Yes, he certainly was ... but ..."

\- "In any case, he was weird"

-"What was Derrick's specialty?" Ciel asked.

  _Memorizing_

_Cricket_

_Poetry_

_Embroidery_

 - "Anyway, the Principal decided on moving him" and the conversation changed and they began to discuss again about the Cricket Tournament.

 

  

_Monday_

_August 19, 1889_

_**In the morning** _

That week, we set out completely to find out about Derrick Arden and the other missing studetns. But, we always got the same answer "The Principal ordered it." Tired of talking to so many people I went to the terrace of the Blue House Dormitory, where I knew I would meet David. "Did you get the information I asked for?" I said as I sat down and crossed my legs.

-"Yes, my lady. It was really complicated but you were right. Those guys are dead. I managed to find who was the responsible of collecting their souls" he said with a bow.

\- "In fact, it is very useful that you are so friendly with all your companions. Anyone who doesn’t know you would believe that you are such a serious person" I said smiling and trying to hit him in the leg with my feet, to which he simply dodged. The game continued for a few more minutes until David ended up stumbling over some block of clay from the floor.

\- "You are so silly" I said laughing non-stop

\- "I'm glad to see you in a better mood," he said, standing up.

\- "Just for today, I'll stay up here. I'm tired of actually being in this school, but I'm already one step ahead. If those guys are dead, what happened to them? Does the Principal know about this? "

-"Why don't you ask him yourself?" David said, standing beside me.

\- "I'm not allowed to meet him, I don't know what he's called or what he looks like either." I said with a sigh, "Should I tell Phantomhive about it?" I said looking up at the sky. "Let’s let him find out by himself. I'm still mad at him"

\- "Wise decision, my lady"

\- "Just in case ... did you bring the game I asked for?" I said smiling, waiting for an entertaining afternoon on that terrace.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guuuys! Im so soorry!  
> Hope you like it!
> 
> I know that it took me sooo long to upload this chapter, but in return I revealed a million things about our MC.


	8. That Countess, Alive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> Before you read this chapter I recommend you read chapter 132.  
> Also yes, this is a new chapter.

_Sunday_

_July 31th, 1881_

_6 years old_

**_In the night_ **

 

> _Rachel Denis, born on August 1st, 1875 in Bezonvaux - Northern France. French parents, not very concerned about their children ... 3 older brothers._
> 
> _Reported missing since June 15, 1881._
> 
> _Observations_
> 
> _Knowledge: reading, writing, 4 languages, math, physics._
> 
> _2 Theories undeveloped._
> 
> _Expert in breaking codes_
> 
> _Death: Blow on the head._

\- "Two theories undeveloped?" Said the tall young man with gray hair and green eyes, on his second day of work after a long training. " _Mechanism to decipher puzzles_? and _Is it possible to attend a machine with electric energy?_ " The young man simply looked silently at the girl's body." This is Electrical and Mechanical physics, how did you learn all this? "

 

> _Education: Initial - School for Girls Nº34_

 After observing scenes of her Cinematic Record, he could see the girl when she laughed, sang and even helped her older brothers. However, in her free time she went to the cellar of the house and read each of the old and ill-treated books that his father hid after his failed studies, along with a series of drawings and sketches of unfinished projects in wich the girl drew trying to find her father’s mistakes.

 - "This girl could have made great discoveries with the right tutors and the correct patronage ...a pity that she didn’t have them. Would she really be useful for humanity on her own?" The rookie crouched to see the girl whose photo was in his list. Suddenly, a voice interrupted him from his thoughts and his indecision, he was so focused that he hadn’t noticed the presence of a human being for the last 10 minutes.

-"I'm sure your bosses will be angry if you don't judge this child properly" he said with a smile on his face.

-"You can see me? What are you doing here?" He pointed his Death Scythe at the man.

-"Ah, a friend gave me the information. A friend very much like you" he said as he turned and looked into green eyes "This friend has worked in the same field as you for many years but he has already retired, he said that surely because of your inexperience you would not be able to judge correctly in this situation and that he felt sorry for the punishment that you would receive"

That man, with his smile that concealed many thoughts and intentions, was about to change the course of his nation's history.

 

 

_Tuesday_

_December 13, 1883_

_8 years_

**_In the morning_ **

From the arrival of the Countess Rachel Gotha to the life of the royal family in 1881, there were a lot of rumors in the population. The royal family was constantly mentioned in the gossip on the streets. "She must be a daughter out of the marriage of one of the Queen's sons" and "She is the Queen's daughter" could often be heard coming out of the mouths of drunks in bars and canteens and from the prostitutes talking in the corners. Obviously, these rumors didn’t please any member of the royal family and was one of the reasons the Parliament argued against the Queen.

The Queen throughout her life had 9 children with her husband, Prince Albert. However, since his death on December 14, 1861, the Queen was in an eternal mourning. To this was added the death of his daughter in 1878, December 14.

-"December 14 is coming and I shouldn’t be here," Rachel said, stretching her arms out to the sky. Her blond hair pulled back into a bun, her hazel eyes just as piercing as the first day she saw David directly in his eyes. Her black dress was similar to that worn by Queen Victoria that day. Like every year, the Queen was in Windsor Palace and the little girl stayed in Buckingham Palace "It's strange to be here with nothing to do and people mourning around the palace" her gaze observing every detail of the garden in which she was resting with all her cards and toys on the table. Her tutor just like always, exhausted after an afternoon of games. "David, you ..." After a small silence in which Rachel hesitated, she fixed her gaze on her butler's eyes "You told me that you saw my whole life before deciding what to do with me ... Do you remember the faces of my parents before they died ? Did they die because of me? "

After the innocent and unexpected question the butler got up and began to collect the toys "I'm sorry my Lady, I saw so many Cinematic Records that day that I don’t remember"

\- "You really have a very bad memory David, you haven’t left me forgotten on the street thanks to the fear you have to your superiors" said the young girl laughing and making fun of her butler "You still have to prove to them that I am worth it , isn’t it?". Rachel got up and stood in front of her butler to see him straight in the eyes.

\- "It isn’t necessary to prove anything to them, my lady, I simply have to fulfill my mission to protect you” Those green eyes, accompanied by a smile.

\- "Is it a Mission or a punishment?" she said with a sigh. "David, Who would you keep serving if something happens… to the Queen or to me? She said as seriously as possible.

-"I ... I'm only here because of you," he said with a bow.

\- "The Queen won’t like this, but I want to find out more about my past ... the one that I don’t remember and from what I've observed you don’t want to tell me about" a smile now decorated the face of the little blonde. "Earl Phantomhive has invited me to his house to meet his family and I have accepted, we will leave today at 3pm and we will return tomorrow at noon" the smile had already disappeared from her face.

  

**_In the afternoon._ **

The mansion led by Earl Phantomhive was on the outskirts of the town, after a 30-minute ride on the chariot, the horses stopped. The house steward was the first to introduce himself and lead the young lady and her butler into the building. In the distance, in the large garden it was possible to see another child and the back of a woman dressed in red playing chess, the boy's gaze was fixed on the Countess's face for a few seconds until she looked away. Upon entering the mansion, a voice interrupted the young girl's thoughts.

\- "It is a pleasure to see you Countess Gotha, today you will be our guest of honor" and behind the smiling man was a boy with a shy and warm look, Rachel hesitated for a second as she tilted her head to see the child that was supposed to be outside, now behind his father. She just smiled.

\- "The pleasure is mine, thank you for the invitation." However, the girl's gaze fixed on another person. After looking at his tutor she realized that his gaze was fixed on another person that could be observed at the back of the room, with a long gray hair and black clothes.

 

 

_Monday_

_August 19th, 1889_

**_In the night_ **

After a long afternoon of games, I went down to the dormitory to find to my surprise that Phantomhive was not there. Minutes later the screams that were heard from outside the building allowed me to verify that he was probably out there causing some problem. After leaving the dormitories, and after following the mass of students, I arrived at the Purple House. The students were ready to help extinguish the large flames of fire that were consuming the building, with the help of Professor Michaelis.

After the flames of fire disappeared and the students were returning to their respective dormitories, one arm pulled me to the side. Knowing who that hand belonged to, I simply let myself go.

-"Where the hell have you been all afternoon? Do you have any new information?" Said the blue-eyed young man, whose eye even at night could be clearly appreciated. Behind him, his butler greeting me with a smile.

-"Nothing new Earl, I assume this fire was your doing?" I said as I released my arm from his hand.

\- "All the students left, but there is no sign of Dereck Arden or the other missing students"

-"I'm planning ...to find a way to meet the Principal" I said as I looked to one side. "Some young students told me today that for the Cricket tournament the Principal is always there. In addition, each year he invites a student to the Midnight Tea party. The one who played well or the one who proves to be exemplary. I don’t know, it will be more difficult to stand out for being a noble and exemplary student than for winning that game" I said while looking up to watch the stars "It's late and I'm tired. Are you going to the dormitories right now or will you stay here longer? "

-"No, I'll go with you. Sebastian, make sure we're included on the Blue House Cricket team" the Earl said, looking at his butler.

-"Yes, my lord."

 

_Monday_

_August 26th, 1889_

**_In the night_ **

After a long week of training, in which we could see that our odds of winning honestly and without cheating were nil, Phantomhive and I made a plan to guarantee our victory. On the day of the opening party, each of the teams showed up in front of the guests. Our team, Sapphire Owl was the last one to appear. After the draw to define the order of the teams for the tournament and the respective ceremony to start the games, the students continued the celebration with their respective families.

-"I hate this outfit" I said as I looked at the heavy clothes we wore" and I hate birds" I said as I sighed. I was waiting for an answer so I looked up into Ciel's eye to see his gaze fixed on Clayton's seven sisters. Suddenly a hand took my arm and a woman began to examine me with her eyes.

\- "Wow young man, you have a very fine face" said one of Clayton's older sisters. "You must be Gotha and you Phantomhive, my brother wrote about two amazingly talented first year." To which Phantomhive and I simply smiled, hoping to escape from them.

\- "How about it? Won’t you take our Little sisters to be your wifes?” When we heard those recommendations, Ciel and I remained static, not knowing what to answer. Suddenly, a beautiful, green-eyed blonde girl approached our group and told us she was Elizabeth Midford, Ciel's fiance. When I saw her face, I could recognize her much faster compared to the time it took me to recognize her brother. While I only met Edward 3 or 4 times, I had seen her several times. I quickly turned to avoid her seeing my face, however Clayton's older sister still had my arm retained waiting for my answer. For a few seconds I hesitated to answer. However, after lifting my gaze and seeing the Earl's gaze on me, I turned my face to avoid the Midford eyes.

\- "I ... I am already engaged to someone too" I replied with a smile. She let go of my hand and I step out of the living room onto the balcony and lift my gaze to starry sky with a smile: "I am too." After a few minutes, I felt David's presence.

-"Do you feel lonely, my lady?" He said with a smile.

\- "A little, everyone is inside with their relatives and friends. Ciel is with his fiancé's family" I said with a sigh." And there's nothing interesting to me in that party. Do you think that demon has already noticed your presence? "

-"I don’t think so. No one besides other Shinigami and you can see me. Also, I have never met him, he doesn’t know me" he said offering me a sweet.

-"I don’t know. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had already discovered you" I said, mocking David.

\- "My lady, what kind of image do you have of me?" David's overreacted face made me laugh even more.

-"A clumsy and innocent shinigami. But very responsible "As I began to walk toward the side exit of the building, David interrupted my thoughts.

\- "However, my lady, today I met another person here at this school. We have been looking for it for a month but it seems that he decided to appear on his own”

-"What? How did he know we were here?" I turned to look at his face, showing him my complete surprise and anticipation.

\- "He didn’t want to answer me that, he only told me to protect you well, that you couldn’t get hurt. Neither physically nor emotionally" to which I simply replied with a smile.


	9. That Countess, Back to life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback Chapter + Cricket Tournament

_Friday_

_July 1st, 1881_

_6 years old_

**_In the night_ **

That night, little Rachel Denis was closing all the books that she used in her father's hold, planning to leave all the objects the same way she found them, locking the door and joining her family to the humble dinner her mother was making for that night. However, after the door was abruptly opened, the little girl was startled to see her father entering with a bottle in his hand. The man began to shout after seeing all of his books and documents drawn, screaming. The little girl ran out of the place, however on the way, her tears clouded her eyes and prevented her from seeing the rocky road ahead. Thus, without realizing it, a rock caused Rachel to fall and hit her head.

  

_Sunday_

_July 2th, 1881_

_6 years old_

**_In the day_ **

The sound of the carriage horses and the children's crying made the little girl wake up. However, a terrible headache prevented her from remembering what had happened to her and how she got to that place, she even forgot what she had done in the last days, more than that, she had forgotten what she had done every day.

Fragments of memories nevertheless reached the girl, who had been lying for hours with her eyes lost in the void: a house with a large patio, books and drawings, a man and a woman with blurred faces, 3 children and many animals. But no matter how hard she tried, no more memories came to her. So she simply resigned herself to just let the tears roll down her cheeks. When observing her body, she could see several wounds, just like the rest of the children in that place. Although she was lost without understanding the situation, her cry was not heard, despite her tears falling, her confusion was even greater.

 

_Sunday_

_July 31th, 1881_

_6 years old_

**_In the night_ **

At the beginning of the day, the only thing that David Feraud expected for his first day of work was that he will be assigned the death of 25 children. The least think he imagined was being in front of the body of a girl that he considered should not die at that moment. But how to know if avoiding her death would really change humanity? How was a rookie Grim Reaper supposed to make such a decision? David was afraid to make a wrong choice. What if she doesn't want to continue living? It was a feeling that he could understand, since in his life he came to feel that kind of emotion. After several minutes the voice of a man interrupted him.

The man who introduced himself as Vincent Phantomhive, who claimed to be sent by a Grim Reaper with many years of experience, proposed the perfect solution: Avoid the death of this girl and leave her under the care of the Queen of England, she would make sure to take care, protect and educate the little one. She would become someone really important to his country. This way, David wouldn’t have to be scolded by his superiors for making a wrong decision, since the girl would really be worth the second chance given. With his eloquent words and his conviction power, a simple man managed to convince one of the most innocent and clumsy Grim Reapers. That's how it began, the story of Countess Rachel Gotha.

She simply woke up one day in a large and elegant bedroom. The first face she observed was that of a tall man, young looking and with a cold expression. Vincent, seeing that the little girl woke up after almost 12 hours of sleep, simply pronounced with a smile "Welcome to your new home, Rachel. My name in Vincent, Earl of Phantomhive”.However, the girl remembered what had happened last night and despite the fact that Earl Phantomhive was explaining all the rules and customs that she had to follow in that Palace with a British accent, the girl had understood everything with her self-learned English. She was just nodding her head. But, the Earl's talk was interrupted by the voice of the girl:

\- "Is Rachel my real name?, I understand that you have freed me from that hellish prison in which those men had me locked up, but how did you know I was there? You know who I am, you went straight to me. You didn’t save anyone else but me. "

The Earl was initially surprised at the way the little foreign girl spoke, her English was clear and refined, clearly learned from a book. David Feraud had explained him that she lost her memory but he didn't know how many lies he could tell the little girl. Earl Phantomhive lifted the child and sat her down on a table so that she could be at his height, after that he sat down.

\- "First of all, before telling you everything I hope you remember forever this very important thing that I am going to tell you: I am simply following the orders of your Majesty, Queen Victoria of England" , the Earl let out a sigh. The blond girl simply watched every movement and every action of the man in front of her. "From what I've observed, you've lost a lot of your memories but not your knowledge, since I hear you speak English although your native language is French, I was ready to show you my French skills until I heard you talking to the servants" Those little brown eyes that were once fixed on him, were then looking at the ground in confusion. Clearly the girl had not realized that she was not speaking in her native language.

-“You were born in a small town in France, you were very well known in that place because of your intelligence. You are really smart for your age. One day some thieves entered your home and kidnapped you. Unfortunately, the bodies of your parents and brothers were found later. You, on the other hand, were kidnapped for a month with other children, waiting to be sold on the black market. For some strange reason, it is believed that because of a forest fire, the place where you and the other children were locked up set on fire. I, who was going to that place by order of the Queen, simply arrived when you were on the ground with a wound on the head. The next thing I will tell you is a little hard to believe but, with the help of someone else we managed to help you breathe again and brought you to this place, Buckingham Palace"

What most surprised the Earl is that throughout his speech the girl simply observed him in the eyes and nodded her head.  "Now, there are two people that I should introduce to you; David, come in please". So the confused look of the girl observe the young man who entered the room. He was tall too, but Earl Phantomhive was taller. His hair was gray and longer than usual for a man in a Royal palace, his hair was tied in a ponytail and his bangs pinned back, revealing his forehead. On his face, dazzling green eyes, covered however by some glasses. The young man had a look of confusion, he observed everywhere and at times sighed, as if denying his situation.

\- "This young man here is David Feraud, he is now the one in charge of your care and education. The next person that I should introduce to you is also in this Palace and has requested a meeting with you. However, the maids will take care first of dressing you to meet her" And with a smile the Earl said goodbye to the girl.

Once Rachel left the room accompanied and guided by the maids, David turned to the Earl Phantomhive "Just remember, I do this on the orders of my superiors after being scolded and to help that little girl who is alive and in this place because of me. She will always be my priority. I have not pledged loyalty to neither you nor your Queen" And with a forced reverence because of his position as a butler, he said goodbye to the man and went to wait for the hazel eyed girl. Vincent Phantomhive simply stayed in the room, with a small smile.

\- "The Queen is a smart and calculating woman" he said, feeling the presence of his long-haired companion without receiving an answer. "I simply follow her orders as her faithful watchdog"

 

_Tuesday_

_December 13, 1883_

_8 years old_

**_In the morning_ **

 The Countess Rachel Gotha arrived almost at dusk to the state of the Phantomhive Family where she was received by Earl Phantomhive and his butler. The little girl was on a 2-day visit due to the Earl's invitation to avoid the mourning that was lived in Buckingham Palace in those days, the one she didn’t like since she didn’t know any of the deceased. Previously, Earl Phantomhive had already talked to Rachel about his family: his wife, his children and even his dog. This family received her very warmly, except for the two little ones: one of them just looked at her with a look of annoyance and the other one just watched her, his shyness did not let him get closer to her. Being in that room, with a book that she was pretending to be reading was becoming uncomfortable.

The little ones were identical, exactly the same. If it were not for the remarkable difference in the attitude they had toward her, she could easily confuse them. The eldest was clearly on the defensive, while the younger showed curiosity with the small gazes he diverted to the girl every five or ten minutes. Suddenly, one of the little ones approached her "I am Ciel, eldest son of Earl Phantomhive. Do you want to play chess?" He said with a smile that left Rachel confused, clearly the boy was sure he would beat her in the game. "Sure" she said as she got up and headed towards the chess table, after seeing the other young boy approaching to see the game and after seeing Vincent Phantomhive smiling, knowing that inevitably the pride of his son would be hurt that day.

 

_Monday_

_August 19, 1889_

**_In the night_ **

 - "What? How did he know we were here?" I turned to see David's face, showing him my complete surprise and anticipation.

\- "He didn’t want to answer me that, he only told me to protect you well, that you could not get hurt. Neither physically nor emotionally”

I smiled, the man who preferred to be called Undertaker in front of the rest of the people was always worrying about me. He was the one that one year ago told me the true story of my return from death with David. He was the one who freed me from Buckingham Palace and that motivated me to ask everything to Queen Victoria, since he clearly cannot stand her, for personal motives. Remembering those days, I am surprised by all the decisions I made and that he helped me take. Thanks to him, I managed to understand and forgive David, this clumsy butler who has always wanted the best for me. David Feraud has really matured and changed a lot in the recent years, from his own mouth I heard everything that happened that night and everything he saw in my record, information that he hid from me for many years thinking it was good for me.

\- "It's been about a month since we've seen it, isn’t it? “I said with a smile "I must return now to the ballroom, I want to see if the draw goes as we had planned. Don't forget it, be careful with that demon”

\- "Yes, my lady"

 

_Wednesday_

_August 21th , 1889_

**_In the morning_ **

Thus, the matches for the Cricket tournament were defined under the "draw" in which Professor Michaelis represented the Sapphire Owl Dormitory. That morning we had to face the Scarlet Fox Dormitory first. During the last few days, the Sapphire Owl Dormitory really had to struggle to be able to face any team in the Cricket tournament since all the students had no sports skills. However, everything was already calculated by Ciel and me, and that game was won after the team had to retire because of "Indigestion problems", all the students became ill, everyone except Prince Soma. That game was an indisputable victory due to the small traps we put in his way and in his chicken pie. Although the students from the Scarlet Fox Dormitory looked very handsome and their sports skills were not bad, they had to disappear from our way. Seeing their faces of suffering even made me regret the small traps. On the other hand, the Green House and the Purple House faced each other after our match. Inevitably the Green House won that game. Therefore, as we had planned, the match for the final game would be the confrontation between Blue House and Green House. The sun was already at its highest point and it was time to face Grenhill and his team. Phantomhive and I were the smallest of our entire team. However, it didn’t really matter since the rest of the team was made up of weak students.

"Ciel! Go for it "A shrill scream made me look away from my team to the young lady from the Midford family, clearly supporting her fiance. Although her attitude often became annoying, I thought it was a nice gesture on her part to support a team in which nobody had any hope. After several of our plans were discovered or abandoned during the game: the orchestra indicating when to hit the ball, the half-naked women calling the attention of the students of the Green House, the defense technique for which we were accused of breaking the rules and the special ball delivered to Bluewer; It was time to define the outcome of the game and put into practice the plan that would guarantee us to meet the Principal that night.

Bluewer threw thet ball that would change it's trajectory slightly without anyone noticing and Greenhill had to hit it. From my position I was counting the seconds since the ball was thrown up until the moment I saw that Grenhill's bat began to rise. From that moment I observed the ball, I calculated the distance at which Grenhill would move his bat and I ran towards Phantomhive with all my strength. Actually, the plan from the beginning was that Phantomhive were to get hit by the bat and that I would come to take care of him and help him finish the play. But, after doing my calculations and observing that Greenhill's bat was moving a little slower than we expected, I decided to change my approach.

\- "CAREFUL" I said as I ran and pushed Phantomhive, in the process getting hit in the back of my head by Greenhill's bat. Phantomhive was really surprised, his expression showed that he was really shocked by what happened and simply placed his hands on the sides of my face asking for help after seeing a small drop of blood roll down my forehead, while my body was still on top of his and my mind was still stunned by the blow. Even so, I took his hand and put it on the ball that was just inches away from us, after the Earl was pushed by me. After Ciel threw the ball while Greenhill was talking to us worried, the victory was declared for the Blue House. A really touching scene for everyone, some students were even crying.

However, a serious error occurred in my planning. Although my change of plan at the last minute surprised Ciel and his butler, they had no choice but to accept it. On the other side, David, who was free to see the game as it was a public holiday with the presence of families and servants, couldn't bear to see me hurt and in an instant he was in the middle of the field, taking me away from the crowd that was celebrating. At that moment, I felt the gaze of Phantomhive and his butler Sebastian on us, the secret became known, my green-eyed butler with glasses was witnessed by the demon.

That afternoon in the dormitories, Ciel and I ended up with injuries, obviously mine being a little more serious. David was disinfecting my wounds while Sebastian looked after his master's.

\- "My God, David, it hurts! Leave me alone! "I said as David did not let me escape while cleaning up even the smallest wound.

\- "So, this young man here is the butler of the Gotha Family?" Ciel finally said, his face showing curiosity.

\- "That's right, my name is David Feraud, Butler at the Kensington Palace" David said with a bow.

\- "My name is Sebastian Michaelis and this is Earl Phantomhive. It’s not the first time we see a Grim Reaper acting as a butler, but the last time things didn’t go as expected " said the demon with a smile. These words made Ciel stare at David and then turn his gaze to me.

\- "Why does a Grim Reaper act as a butler in your Palace?" Said the blue-eyed young man.

\- "I will answer the day you tell me why a demon acts as a butler for the Phantomhive family" clearly, my response took him by surprise, the movement of his eyebrows gave him away. With a smile I answered  before one of my wounds hurt again because of David. That night, after our butlers had a war of looks to see that both of the, had prepared uniforms for today's celebration, we had to make the parade down the River Tames and inevitably pass through the Windsor Palace

\- "Long live the Queen!" everyone shouted. While everyone got up to show their respect to the Queen, I remained sitting without reacting after seeing her straight in the eyes. It was not my goal to disrespect the Queen, I never would, I just did not react in time after watching that she was so far away. Before I was at her side and then I was on the parade.

\- "I don’t know the problems you have with the Queen, but people are watching you. You won good comments from people today after the game, don’t win the bad comments this time. You are the Queen's Watchdog, after all" Ciel Phantomhive said quietly without turning his gaze from the Castle. Then, I decided to get up and locate myself just like the rest of the team. My gaze however remained fixed on the Earl and in his words "You are the Queen's Watchdog", after a few seconds of observing his face and his blue eye, I observed the Queen with a sincere smile, as I had previously commented "I don’t look for revenge, I do understand the Queen's actions, I simply work for her to pay her investment in me"

\- "Phantomhive, Gotha," said Bluewer. "We've managed to win this tournament. Due to the minute calculations but we never thought we'd actually win, so we did not practice for the parade even once." After his words, we all fell into the river. That night, when we returned to the rooms, a cup with golden details rested on my bed and a cup with blue details rested on Ciel's bed. Officially, we were invited to the Midnight Party. Both cups had a flower, we just had to wait for it to bloom.


	10. That Countess,  Betraying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This arc is coming to an end!

_Thursday_

_August 22th , 1889_

**_In the night_ **

It simply took one day for that flower to bloom, so even though the moon was at its highest point, Phantomhive and I were in our uniforms, ready to meet the Principal. While we waited in the hallway for Clayton's ad, I simply watched the sky, which was full of stars that night.

\- "Why?" The Earl's voice interrupted my thoughts. "Why did you get hit in my place?"

For a few minutes I observed the young man who was next to me, the young man who hated me as a child. I met a him few times, but he always avoided me. With his brother, the meetings were much more constant. His father was happy to see us laughing together since his son was usually shy. When Ciel was small, he was the sun that didn’t let anyone see the stars in the morning. His brother, on the other side, was like the stars of the night. I wanted to be the moon. David was right, it was inevitable to remember my childhood with the presence of one Phantomhive at my side.

\- "I wanted to be the protagonist of the game, I wanted the highlight" I said with a mocking smile, however a smile adorned Ciel's face as he looked up at the sky. "Also, what happened with Cole, I'm sure it was not a good experience. I think we are on hand" these words made Ciel frown and observe me. In the same way, I fixed my gaze on his big blue eye "I think I've come to know you much more. When I was little you obviously didn’t give me the opportunity, and I'm sure it was because you didn’t like me taking your brother's attention. But I think I've got to know you and understand you. What you did the other day, I know it was to get me away from Cole and I thank you" For a few seconds, we just stayed like that, watching the night. For a few seconds I looked at him again and I could see his rosy cheeks, something that I got to see for the first time in him and that unfortunately made me remember again my childhood and his brother. He was the one with the pink cheeks.

 With Clayton's call, we headed to the tea party. In that garden, there was a table with all the necessary glassware, and in the background, a man with a hat hiding his face. While Ciel and I, together with the other prefects and fags sat down to enjoy the tea, I observed the face of each one of them. Do all the people present here know what happened to the missing young people? My gaze was then fixed on Midford, who was watching me and Ciel, we were sitting together after all.

\- "It's a bit irksome but I guess we should toast with tea, Lawrence if you please" Said Redmond. "Well, then, to having successfully protected tradition and finishing this celebration for another year" said Bluewer at the beginning of his toast.

\- "How long must we do all this? I said as I put my drink on the table and placed my face on my hand and my elbow on the table, clearly showing disrespect. With my left hand I released my hair and I took off that tie that I hated so much "Well, I would like you to please tell me about Derek Arden and his friends" I said with a smile

\- "Exactly, I can’t continue until I meet them" Ciel said much calmer than me "Derek Arden, Richar Greenson, Hans Hardy, Robert Isaac and Ewan Thewlis. I have heard that since about a year ago, none of these have returned home even once and have been cooped up in their dormitories during that time. Actually, when we entered the school we were asked by their parents to persuade them to come home just once "said the blue eyed boy, with a cold expression.

\- "But we could not even lay eyes on them. Even the day of the fire Violet said that they were all safe "I said looking directly at Violet, who looked down.

\- "I'm sure Violet was just upset at the time" said Redmond trying to defend his partner. At that time I was still surprised that the Principal did not respond to any comment. When seeing the faces of the fags, they clearly know nothing of what had happened. While Ciel was beginning to lose patience, he hit the table and got up.

\- "5 people have disappeared from a strictly supervised public school ... This is obviously quite strange" after his sentence, I continued" Derek and the rest are probably not at this school anymore. In the best case they've escaped. In the worst, they are dead. Mr. Principalm, there's a big chance that they've become involved in some large incident. I'd like to call you in the yard" I said with a sarcasm tone and a smile, also getting up.

However, my smile faded when I heard "That will not be necessary, they are right here. " When I turned around I could see that the door was opened and there was Derreck Arden, with a smile and praising the smell of the tea. My mind went blank, David assured me that these students had died, their Cinematic Record were collected by another Grim Reaper days ago. So I approached the young man, I looked him straight in the eyes, holding his shoulders and the only thing I could observe was ... nothing. His face said absolutely nothing, he only had a dead smile while repeating "The tea smells good". It was the first time that when observing a person's face I couldn’t perceive a single sign, he was not trying to hide his expressions ... he just didn’t have them.

Then, Dereck Arden began to bring his face close to mine and due to the proximity of his face I could see a large scar on his forehead. When I realized that the young man was opening his mouth and was going to try to bite me, I called David, who appeared in the garden and knocked the man away from me. David placed himself in front of me trying to defend me but neither of us understood what was happening. The worst thing was that even in spite of the blow he received, Arden got up again without showing any pain.

"Get away from him, he's dead!" It was Ciel's voice that helped me react. I saw Deereck Arden's face again, and again, nothing ... only death. "Come Sebastian, this is an order, CAPTURE DERRICK" and at that moment David raised my body and moved me away from that thing. When I turned my face to see Ciel I could observe for the first time his hidden eye, its purple shine, I couldn’t detach my eyes from him. However, when I reacted, I knew that there was still someone in this place I had to talk to. "David, take me to the Principal" I said to my butler while Ciel and his demon took care of the rest. The students were confused and lost. When David put me again on the ground in front of the Principal, I heard Ciel explain to the fags about the death and disappeared of this students. At that moment, Phantomhive and I took out our weapons and pointed them to the Principal.

When I found myself closer to the Principal I could see his face, my hand trembled when I recognized him and I could simply murmur "What are you doing here?" To which he replied with a smile. Without taking my eyes off that man, I heard the story of the 4 prefects; they wanted to protect their customs and traditions, they killed Dereck Arden and the other students after seeing them intimidating other students. They contacted a hidden society, Aurora Society, through Viscount Druitt and they promised them to revive the dead. All that history seemed so twisted, but my biggest question was the presence of the gray-haired man in front of me.

\- "I see, now everything falls into place" Said the butler and demon "The students disappeared, body and soul, Derrick Arden; the one who was able to escape from my pursuit, the Principal; the association researching human regeneration, the Aura Society. To figure out this should have been a trivial task, but the one who wrapped all of this in such difficult mystery ... Was you, was not it? Why do not we both drop the teacher act here? "He said pointing to the Principal.

\- "It was truly pleasant to watch your struggle from the grand tier, you both have offered me the best of laughs" And after pronouncing those words, Undertaker took off his hat and revealed his face and hair.

\- "Rachel, get out of there" I heard Ciel scream, but neither David nor I moved, rather, I lower the arm that held the gun with which I was pointing.

\- "You, Were you the one that made those corpses move again?" I said, already calm and crossing my arms. David behind me.

\- "Hello Earl, hello Countess, both of you are as tiny as ever. But I'm pleased to see you are doing well. Did you enjoy your experience with group life? " He said while playing with his hat.

At that time, the 4 prefects began to tell how they murdered Dreck and his companions, including the Vice Principal who had received bribes, all to protect the prestige of Weston, turning around I could see the face of displeasure of Ciel, which at times turned his gaze towards me. His face reflected two questions. Why is Rachel Gotha standing still in front of the Undertaker? And how can they simply murder the students in that way? It was Undertaker's laughter that made the tension of the situation deviate.

\- "I see.” Said the blue eyed boy “I was asked to investigate this incident by a certain High Individual Ranking. They will not sit down and do anything after hearing the truth of this matter. I'll ask them to consider the circumstances" Ciel said with a smile, watching him I could see how not a single muscle of his nose moved" This was clearly different from the previous moving corpses, They have evolved" After Ciel pronounced those words I understood, that this was not the first time he saw one of those monsters and that it was not his first encounter with the Undertaker. On the contrary, he seemed to know him for a long time too.

\- "What the hell is all this, Undertaker?" I said quietly. Is this the reason why you were here at school and you met David? "

\- "I'll explain everything later, my dear." He said in a low voice, but raised his voice to answer the Earl’s statement "You are right, even the dead can evolve. As long as there are episodes. What is driving them now is their yearning for a future. Humans in their dying moments, review their past life. These images come and go and at the same time they crave the future they were supposed to have. They are fragmentary, of course, but those fragments are the episodes. These are like a predictive map of the future. So if we stuck these to their cinematic record. Would not it become complete? Well, the success rate is still pretty low"

\- "I don’t understand. Why would you do that? What purpose does bringing back the dead serve? "I said quietly looking at his green eyes.

\- "You have never thought about it? There might be an interesting development lurking behind the ending credits? "Was the only answer I could get from him.

\- "I will not let you get away again! Get him Sebastian "After Ciel's words, many more of those walking corpses appeared in the garden, after seeing their faces I could recognize them as the friends of Derreck Arden. Ciel, being closer to the rest of the students, helped them escape from those monsters.

\- "Even though they are all Phantomhives, he is different from his ancestors. Interesting" when he said that, I looked at Undertaker but didn’t say anything. Ciel was not the one I considered different despite being a Phantomhive. The long haired man was now sitting on the wall of the garden enclosure. For some reason I felt that I was in the middle of an argument that didn’t belong to me. Clearly Ciel has something against Undertaker, but I could not support him on this occasion.

\- "Did you think you could keep me down with this one?" Said  Sebastian, while a walking corpse tried to attack him. "You underestimate me"

\- "I'm not underestimating you at all. It's just that we have different goals "said the man with the gray hair while watching Ciel. At that time, Sebastian eliminated the walking corpses on his way and went to protect his master. At the same time, Undertaker took a big leap and placed himself beside me, getting me up with his right arm and jumping again towards the enclosure of the garden.

\- "Save her, Sebastian!" yelled the blue-eyed young man towards his butler, who did not move and remained protecting his master. Ciel's angry face was visible, but after his butler whispered that his priority would always be to protect him as the contract indicated, Ciel could not answer.

\- "It's time to go, David" I said, with a cold face.

\- "Hihi, see you," Undertaker said in a mocking tone to the Earl and his butler.

And so, under the full moon of the night, I left Ciel Phantomhive behind in what seemed like a clear sign of betrayal.


End file.
